Aileen O'Heidin and the Malady of Hogwarts
by XxKonspiracyxX
Summary: After defeating Xyler and his followers in the Chamber of Secrets, Aileen is determined to get answers about her mother's death - but no one expects Hogwarts to be attacked with a biological ambush. Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, Rose, and Scorpius team up once again to stop the new Dark Lord's evil plans... with a little unexpected help from Ross, Samuel, and Harry Potter himself.
1. Fresher Start Than The Last

The O'Heidin Carnival bustled with business all summer long.

Aileen O'Heidin, a twelve-year-old witch who was the daughter of the carnival's owner, laid face-first in her pillow. It was the end of July, and she'd spent most of the summer practicing her fire spells alone outside or sulking in her bed. During her first school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Aileen had come face to face with a mysterious entity named Xyler, a notorious dark wizard who was rapidly making a name for himself throughout the wizarding community. Amidst the letters she would receive from her friends, Aileen would get a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from Maxwell. Maxwell, her childhood friend who lived in Scotland, would always be given newspapers by his family, and he always sent them to Aileen when he was finished with them. Today, as she lay bored on her bed, her head was crushing one of the pages of the _Daily Prophet,_ which was flashing a headline that read; **VALEFOR LIVES: CONFIRMED**

Yes, Aileen knew that Valefor - a Death Eater who once followed Lord Voldemort - was alive. Valefor was a Xyler supporter, and he was the uncle of Aileen's rival, Erika Sayre. He was also a ruthless raving lunatic on the run from Azkaban.

Aileen began to sit up, skimming over the pile of papers on her pillow. She grabbed her most recent letter from Maxwell and reread it.

 _Aileen, my dad is bringing me to the carnival tomorrow before we leave for school. Albus_

 _and the Potters are coming too, and so are the Weasleys. You're gonna have to help me show_

 _them around! Also, my dad offered to take your dad back home to the carnival if he wants to_

 _join us at Diagon Alley. Wizards can't apparate from one country to another unless they're a high_

 _ranking auror, so my dad would have to take him home. How's your dad doing? And how are you_

 _doing? How come you're hardly ever writing me back? If you're sad about your mom, you can talk_

 _to me. See ya tomorrow._

 _Max_

Aileen frowned.

All summer, her friends had been writing her, asking her if they could visit her carnival, but each time, she told them that she'd rather be alone. Her mother died from Dragon Pox last year, and she still hadn't gotten over it - and, she was certain that Xyler was involved with her mother's death somehow. When she met Xyler, the Dark Lord mentioned Aileen's mother's death to her. Xyler knew of her demise before Aileen herself did. That was too suspicious for Aileen to ignore.

But now, she'd spent the summer hiding away from everyone and pouting by herself, and she had run out of time to mourn. It was almost time for the new year at Hogwarts to begin, and she wouldn't be able to hide from her friends any longer.

The music from the carnival was much louder than usual. If Aileen was able to feel it shaking her house, then it was too loud. Her one-room home sat on a hill overlooking the O'Heidin Carnival. Usually the music from the carnival sounded like a distant, dull humming whenever she was inside. It sounded like quite a party was going on down there.

"Dad..." Aileen uttered, standing from her bed and walking out the front door.

Ever since her mother's death, her father had been acting strange. He wasn't acting angry or depressed... at least, not obviously so. He spent most of his time out of the house, working on the carnival or tending to his wife's garden... or, on numerous occasions during the summer, partying in the carnival and trying his damndest to forget about his problems. Aileen usually felt safe under his wing, but for the past couple of weeks, she felt more like she was there simply to look after him. He wasn't handling the loss well at all.

It was nighttime, and the lights of the carnival brightened the atmosphere beautifully. As Aileen marched down the grassy hill, the music became deafening.

 _"Can you dance like a Hippogriff, ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma..."_

All around, muggles and wizards alike were dancing and partying like mad. Aileen wasn't used to seeing wizards in the carnival. They must have been some of her father's friends. The only way she was able to tell them apart from the muggles was their attire; the wizards weren't wearing muggle disguises. They were wearing their usual wizardly getup, the clothes she would see on everyone in Diagon Alley; many differently colored wizard's robes and numerous variations of pointy hats. The muggles didn't even seem to notice how different they looked. Perhaps they simply looked like circus attractions to the muggles. Accounting for the funny paint on many of the carnival performers' faces and the goofy clothes they wore, the wizards were hardly noticeable.

 _"Flyin' off, from a cliff,_ _ma ma ma,_ _ma ma ma, ma ma ma... swoopin' down, to the ground,_ _ma ma ma_ _, ma ma ma, ma ma ma..."_

Aileen weaved through the crowd, carefully dodging the feet and elbows of the maniacs who were lost to the rhythm.

Her eyes drifted up to the stage. It was the stage where her father would always perform his magic tricks for the entertainment of the muggles. He was up there now, dancing, headbanging, and kicking in a wild dance. Aileen had never seen him dance before.

 _"Wheel around, and around, and around, and around,_ _ma ma_ _ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma..."_

Samuel O'Heidin spun in a perfect circle atop the stage, spreading out his fingers and creating a small whirlwind of fire from them as he moved. The crowd cheered him on.

He leaped from the stage and stuck a smooth landing in the crowd. He then snatched a bottle of rum from a nearby wizard and upturned it. He ingested about half the bottle when he stopped, reared back, and spat out a massive wave of fire; the flames protruded from his mouth and swirled into the sky, taking the shape of a fiery hippogriff before dissipating into the air.

The crowd went wild.

"Dad!" Aileen tried to shout over them. "Oy! Dad!"

Samuel stumbled to a stop, ceasing his dancing and noticing that Aileen was just feet away from him. He had a glazed look about him, his black overcoat twisted crookedly over his pinstriped vest, his slicked-back hairs wilder and messier than usual.

"Hothead!" he beamed, spreading his arms open and trapping her in a hug. "Make a fire show, kiddo. C'mon, give these people somethin' to cheer for!"

The crowd roared even louder, seeming to like the idea.

Aileen's head was squished into her father's chest, and she was able to smell something acidic on him. He'd been drinking again.

"C'mon... fire it up!" Samuel egged her on. "C'mon, kiddo, c'mon..."

"Stop it, Dad, please." Aileen gazed up at him. "Will you come home? Haven't you partied enough?"

"Enough?" Samuel murmured.

Aileen gave him a pleading look.

Samuel sighed. "Alright, kiddo, alright..."

He began to escort her up the hill, his hand on her shoulder - or, perhaps it would have been more appropriate to say that _she_ was escorting _him._ He was hardly able to walk straight, and he kept a firm hold on Aileen's sweater as they walked, using her as a guide. The crowd moaned in protest, many of them hollering and asking Samuel to stay, but he ignored them.

When they entered their home, Samuel closed the door and leaned on it for several minutes, looking like he might fall asleep standing up. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes, meeting his daughter's gaze and noticing the visage of disappointment she wore.

"M'sorry," Samuel said.

"I miss her too," Aileen told him. "But I feel like I'm losing both of my parents."

Samuel frowned.

"I just needed to take my mind off it for a bit," he said, rubbing his temples. "I'm all done now, okay? I promise. I didn't want to make you feel like that... that wasn't..."

He stepped forward and tried to embrace her, and he nearly lost his balance. Aileen wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

"I wish you'd listen to me," Aileen mumbled into his vest. "If you worked with Ross and Harry, I bet you could help them find Xyler..."

"I can't run off and play auror. I'm not qualified," Samuel told her. "And in any case... I've told you before, hothead. Xyler had nothing to do with your mother dying."

"He did," Aileen grouched. "I know he did. Xyler knew that she was dead. He knew before I did. He had something to do with it, I know it."

"No, he didn't," Samuel said. "I know it's hard to accept, kiddo... but... your mother just got sick. It happens. I tended to her until she passed. I was there. I know how she passed, and I know it had nothing to do with Xyler."

"How do you know for sure?" Aileen asked. "How do you know that Xyler didn't make her sick?"

Samuel looked down at her sadly. "Kiddo..."

"What?"

"I think you're trying too hard to find someone to blame for her death. But... there is no one to blame. Sometimes, these things just happen..."

"I don't believe that," Aileen said straightly. "No... the way Xyler talked about it... he had to have something to do with it. He _had_ to."

Samuel let out a cloud of breath.

"You need to get packed up for school..." he said. "The train will be in London the day after tomorrow. Go ahead and get packed."

Aileen huffed and stormed over to her trunk, thrusting her clothes and supplies into it carelessly. Ziggy watched her from her bed, flicking his forked tongue at her.

Samuel sank onto his bed. He picked up a small rock from his nightstand - a rock that had a strangely yellowish shine to it - and he slowly waved his hand over it, muttering an incantation to himself repeatedly.

After Aileen had sloppily packed her trunk, she turned to her father. "What are you doing?"

 _"Aureus... Aureus..."_ Samuel muttered, focusing very intently on the rock. "It's a new trick, kiddo. I've been working on this ever since January. You know how our family has an aptitude for elemental manipulation, right?"

Aileen nodded.

"Well..." Samuel said, holding up the shiny rock. "I figured I'd be able to buy you something nice for school if I could work on my earth spells."

Aileen blinked. "Are you trying to turn that rock into gold?"

"I'm not trying. I'm succeeding," Samuel grinned. "This is tricky magic. This rock is about three-fourths gold now. Took it long enough to get that far... I wanted to transform the entire thing before we did your school shopping, but I guess this will have to do."

"Why don't you use your wand?" Aileen asked. "You might be able to do more if you used more than just your hands."

Samuel studied the rock very intently.

Aileen took her Sycamore wand from her bed and handed it to him. "Try doing it with a wand."

Samuel hesitantly took the wand, taking a moment to adjust himself to its hold. He then waved it over the rock in a smooth swish-and-flick. _"Aureus."_

At once, the entire rock hardened into pure gold.

Samuel and Aileen both beamed.

"Well, I'll be," Samuel said. "That's certainly something. Do you know how many wizards would kill for a gold-creating spell? I guess this one works better with a wand. Pain in the ass. But, well, at least we perfected it. Good thinking, kiddo."

"What do you mean?" Aileen wondered. "You mean no other wizards know that spell?"

"Probably not, considering I just made it up last year," Samuel told her. "I doubted it would even work, but I spent half a year trying to perfect it. Your wand did the trick. That must be some wand you've got there. What kind is it, again?"

"A Sycamore with dragon heartstring," Aileen informed. "It's got the heartstring of a Leviathan."

Samuel looked to her, his expression fading into one of disbelief.

"Leviathan?" he said.

Aileen nodded. "That's what Ollivander told me. He told me that I got the last known wand of Leviathan. It cost a lot."

Samuel stared at her wordlessly.

Aileen narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Samuel muttered. "Wow. My daughter has a legendary wand. You really are something special, ya' know that?"

"Yeah, right," Aileen brushed him off. "You're the one inventing spells that turn rocks into gold."

Samuel laughed.

"Don't get too dependent on that wand," he told her. "I still wanna teach you some more wandless magic once you're old enough."

"Yeah, but I have to perfect regular magic before I can do that," Aileen said, thinking of her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Crowley. "Oh, and Ross and the Potters are coming to the carnival tomorrow. I'm supposed to go with them to shop in Diagon Alley after they spend some time in the carnival. Ross offered to bring you with us."

"Sounds good," Samuel replied, turning the golden rock around and smiling at it. "I've been wanting to buy you something for a long time, and I've never had the money for it until now. I want to be there to pick it out myself."

"What is it?" Aileen asked excitedly.

Samuel shook his head. "It's a surprise. You'll find out tomorrow."

Aileen went to the kitchenette, preparing to cook one of her mother's famous Shepherd's Pies for dinner. Samuel laid back on his bed, yawning and trying not to fall asleep. The two of them stayed awake late, eating and talking about different racing broomsticks. They fell asleep around midnight, and they slept until about ten in the morning. Ross Connelly, Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione Weasley, and all of their children had arrived at the carnival at nine, and they wandered around aimlessly until Samuel and Aileen finally rolled out of bed and went to greet them.

"Finally woke up, didja?" Ross said to Samuel. "About time."

"Yeah, yeah," Samuel replied.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, George, and Ginny were giving their children instructions and handing out Sickles and Knuts for them to spend. Afterwards, Maxwell, Albus, James, Fred, and Rose all darted up to Aileen.

"This place is amazing!" Rose exclaimed. "You actually live here, Aileen?"

"Wow, you're lucky," Albus commented.

"My dad brings me here whenever he has to go on a long trip," Maxwell told them. "I can show you where everything is. Let's go to the candy stand!"

"Yeah, this place is okay," James shrugged. "I've seen better."

"No you haven't," Fred replied. "Come on. I'm hungry. I'm with Max - let's have candy for lunch."

And without warning, Aileen found herself giving the Potters and Weasleys the grand tour of the O'Heidin Carnival. She and Maxwell took turns showing off the attractions before they finally reached the candy stand, and James was disappointed to see that there were no Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans or Chocolate Frogs. Instead, they got to choose from cotton candies, popcorn, and various kinds of muggle chocolates.

"M&M's?" Fred questioned, staring at his cup of multicolored chocolate circles. "What in the bloody hell..."

Aileen took everyone to ride the ferris wheel - and she was delighted to see that James was afraid of heights. She and Fred continued to poke fun at him until they stepped off of the ride. They shook the cart around as much as they could, and James had gone so pale they halfway expected him to fall victim to a heart attack.

The adults watched their children from a distance. Samuel and Ross stood side by side, like they often did. Ross' gigantic body wasn't covered in an overcoat or a robe like usual; today, he wore only a tank top and a pair of baggy muggle pants. He looked completely different from the Potters and Weasleys, and standing beside Samuel, one would have never guessed that the two of them were long-time friends. Ross had easily twice as much body mass as Samuel, and he looked like he couldn't care less what he was wearing, while Samuel wore his clean-cut overcoat and his pinstriped suit, looking far too stylish for the profession he had. His nails had segments of black nail polish on them, most of which had chipped off, and one of his ears flashed a silvery Deathly Hallows earring.

"So, how're you doing?" Ross asked him.

Samuel didn't reply for nearly a full minute.

"Same old. Getting by," he told Ross. "And you?"

"Aye. Pretty much the same," Ross said. "Been working with Harry a lot, trying to find that Xyler fella. And Valefor, too. His niece, Erika... she's not giving up any information on her uncle, so... the search is slow-going."

"As long as my daughter doesn't end up in danger again, I couldn't care less about those tossers," Samuel replied. "Just make sure that nobody can get into Hogwarts again. That's all I ask. The kids need to be safe when they're off at school."

"You don't have to worry about that. Zander and Trocar have been refortifying the school," Ross told him. "No more animagus invasions, and no more boggarts."

"Good," Samuel said.

The children darted up to their parents, and James was complaining that everyone was picking on him, to which Harry replied; "I expect you know how it feels when you do it to other people now, don't you?" This made Fred and Aileen laugh even harder.

It wasn't long before their short vacation in the O'Heidin Carnival ended, and the adults decided it was time to leave for Diagon Alley.

Before they apparated off to London, Samuel kelt beside Aileen and whispered into her ear.

"Don't tell anyone about this," Samuel said faintly, flashing the gold rock and pocketing it. "These kind of spells are illegal."

Aileen giggled. "I won't."

Ross grabbed Samuel by the arm, and Samuel took his daughter's hand. The Potters and Weasleys joined hands and prepared for the apparation, and off they went.

 _Crack._


	2. Adventure in the Alley

"Ow..."

As the band of wizards landed in front of the Leaky Cauldron, Samuel grasped his head. "Bloody hell, I haven't traveled that way in a long time. Gives me a killer headache..."

"You're telling me," Ron said, frowning and clutching his stomach. "All these years, and I'm still not used to it."

"Where to first?" Ginny asked.

"Well," Ross said, "Since I'm not stretched for time like I was last year, I think we'll have time to enjoy ourselves a bit if we get the school shopping done soon."

"We can't rush it," Hermione replied. "We're shopping for school supplies for our children. It's too important to rush through. We ought to-"

"I'm on board with enjoying ourselves," Ron interrupted. "It's been ages since I had a cold butterbeer. All in favor, say aye."

"Aye," Samuel, Harry, and George all said at once.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I believe my friend here is itching to lose a drinking contest," Samuel said, smirking at Ross.

"See, you being cocky is why you always lose," Ross replied. "You can't drink me under the table, mate. Give it up."

"Oy - what drinking contests are _you_ talking about? If I recall right, I won every single one of 'em."

"Yeah right. In your dreams."

"I have! You think a ruddy Scotsman is gonna drink an Irishman under the table? Not bloody likely!"

"Don't swear in front of the children!" Hermione gasped, but they ignored her.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and George were all laughing at Samuel and Ross's argument. They all headed into Diagon Alley, and Hermione was the only one who thought to look over the list of necessary school supplies as they wandered. As Aileen traded jokes with Maxwell and Albus, she found herself in a much better mood than yesterday. After a while of walking, someone yanked on the sleeve of her jacket. Aileen spun around, only to see another young ginger girl who looked about her age peering wonderingly at her, though her red hair was much longer and more well-kempt than Aileen's. She looked a lot like that woman at Harry Potter's side, Ginny Weasley.

"Where are we going?" Lily Luna Potter asked timidly.

Aileen blinked. Was this child with them the whole time? She hadn't even noticed...

"Um..." Aileen started. "We're getting school supplies. Are you going to Hogwarts this year?"

Lily shook her head. "I'm not going until next year."

"And you're gonna be Gryffindor, too, right little sis?" James said to Lily. "Otherwise, we're disowning you."

"James, stop it," Ginny said sharply.

"Hey Dad," James said to his father, brushing his mother off. "Can I take the kids to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

"We're supposed to be school shopping," Harry told him. "Why would I let you run off?"

"Because, you and Mom always do all the work anyway. You guys pick the best cauldrons and decide which textbooks are in the best condition. You don't even need me around to do the school shopping," James explained. "You guys are the parents. You know what we need better than we do. Can we go to the joke shop? Please?"

Aileen gazed up at her father expectantly. She didn't often agree with anything that James said, but she did like the idea of playing in a joke shop rather than shopping for cauldrons and textbooks.

Samuel sighed.

Maxwell gave his father the same pleading look, making Ross groan and rub his temples.

"I'll stay with you, Mom," Rose said to Hermione. "I'd rather do my school shopping."

"Why? Go to the joke shop," Ron told his daughter. "Give us a break from being parents, will you?"

Hermione smacked Ron on the arm.

Fred looked to his father. "Do I even have to ask?"

"No," George chuckled. "Off with ya' already. Have fun."

"Alright, if you promise to keep an eye on the younger kids - especially your little sister - then you can go to the joke shop," Harry told James. "You will meet us outside of the Sullivan & Associates shop at three in the afternoon. Understand?"

"Sullivan and Associates?" Ron inquired. "They have a branch here? In Diagon Alley?"

"They do now," Hermione informed. "Their shop is sitting where Quality Quiddich Supplies used to be. They're really taking over the Quiddich market."

"Sounds like I need to make a stop there," Samuel mumbled. "Alright, kiddo. You heard Mr. Potter. Go to the joke shop and meet us at Sullivan's at three. Yeah?"

"Aye," Aileen nodded.

"That goes for you too," Ross told Maxwell.

Samuel and Ross gave their children a bit of money to spend. At that, the adults parted ways with the children (except for Rose), and they headed for the brightly colored shop down the alley. Albus held Lily by the wrist, making sure not to lose her in the crowd. Aileen searched through her father's small sack of coins, discovering that it contained more Galleons than she would have thought. Perhaps he intended to use his magically manufactured gold nugget to pay for her school supplies. He'd never given her this much money before...

The children entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and immediately, James and Fred disappeared from the group. The two of them had visited this shop numerous times before, unlike Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, or Lily. The four of them wandered around and looked over the bizarre products curiously, wondering what they ought to buy. Aileen grabbed an armful of goods; she'd never had this much money before in her life, and she was going to celebrate. She carried a Skiving Snackbox, a package of Canary Creams, and a beautiful, velvet green Shield Cloak, which would match her Slytherin robes perfectly. Aileen stood in front of the clothes rack for several minutes, contemplating on whether or not to buy a pair of Shield Gloves to go along with the cloak. The cloak itself was incredibly expensive, but it would be nice to have a pair of gloves capable of blocking offensive magic... that would come in handy in the Dueling Club...

Deciding that the defensive cloak was already expensive enough, she left the gloves behind and rejoined Maxwell at the snacks. Maxwell was holding three Skiving Snackboxes. Aileen wondered if he knew the true nature of the snacks he carried.

"Those will make you sick," she told him.

Maxwell blinked at her. "Really?"

"Aye. They're meant to get you out of class," Aileen said. "That's what those snacks are for. Faking illnesses."

Maxwell grinned. "That's brilliant."

Aileen scanned around, seeing Albus and Lily beside the Decoy Generators and Peruvian Instant Darkness Powders. James and Fred were still off on their own, and now, Aileen was already getting bored. She'd already looked over nearly everything in the shop, and she was done picking out what she wanted. After she and Maxwell went to the counter and paid for their goods, they left the shop and stood outside silently, neither of them knowing what to do next. Maxwell opened one of Aileen's Canary Creams and tried to bite into it, but Aileen smacked his hand, making the Canary Cream fall to the ground.

"That will turn you into a bird, you know," Aileen said. "Don't eat those."

"Then what did you buy them for?" Maxwell asked, staring down sadly at the wasted yellow sweet.

"They seem practical," Aileen replied. "I mean... if we ever wanted to sneak off, we could just use these creams to turn into canaries and fly away. But we don't need to eat them right now. If your dad saw you turn into a bird, he would freak out."

"I want to walk around," Maxwell said suddenly. "I'm bored just standing around here. Let's go somewhere else."

"We can't leave without telling the others, can we?" Aileen replied. "They'll think we got lost or something."

"We'll meet up with them at Sullivan's later," Maxwell told her. "C'mon, I'm bored!"

Aileen huffed out a sigh. She pulled out her wand, performed an interior-enlarging spell on her satchel, and stuffed all her purchased goods into the bag before draping her new cloak over her body and slipping her wand back into her sleeve. Maxwell shoved his belongings into her bag too, and then, the two of them set off.

"Where are we going?" Aileen asked him.

Maxwell shrugged.

For a while, Aileen didn't bother asking him where they were going again. Maxwell's shiny green eyes were moving curiously from building to building, glistening with a spark of intrigue that very much reminded Aileen of a lost puppy. His rectangular glasses cast a glare in the sunlight, and Aileen was surprised that he was able to ogle at everything in Diagon Alley from behind his long, scraggly bangs. As they walked past shops and turned corners, the crowd began to thin out around them, and the atmosphere grew darker. More and more, Aileen was losing track of their whereabouts. When they ended up in a dark, empty alleyway that was completely unfamiliar to both of them, Aileen finally decided to yank Maxwell to a stop.

"Where are we?" she asked him. "How far have we gone?"

Maxwell looked around, only just realizing that he had no idea where he was.

"We're... exploring," he replied.

"You have no idea where we are, do you?"

"We're... in Diagon Alley."

"No we're not. Not anymore."

"Well, we can't be that far..."

"We need to go back, Max. Let's-"

"Oy, look! A pub!" Maxwell exclaimed, pointing down the narrow alley to a dingy, isolated pub at the end of the walkway. At once, Maxwell darted off to the pub, Aileen moaning and following along behind him as he did. Just before the two twelve-year-olds walked inside, Aileen caught a glimpse of the rickety sign hanging above the double doors, which read; **_The Spider's Web._**

Aileen and Maxwell stood at the door for several seconds. The inside didn't look to be the sort of place that would welcome underaged wizards, but at the same time, no one seemed to be interested in kicking them out. The pub was filled with dark decor and old Quiddich posters from decades back, and the witches and wizards who sat at the tables and the bar seemed different from the shoppers in Diagon Alley; they appeared less spry, less lively. Their attire was darker, their expressions grimmer.

"Dodgy place," Aileen muttered. "Why are we here, again?"

Maxwell didn't hear her. He rushed over to the bar and claimed a stool beside a hefty, disgruntled looking bearded man. Aileen hesitantly followed him, claiming the seat on his other side. A low humming music filled the pub, a dark sort of gothic song that Aileen had never heard before.

 _"White on white translucent black capes_  
 _Back on the rack_

 _Bela Lugosi's dead_  
 _The bats have left the bell tower_  
 _The victims have been bled_  
 _Red velvet lines the black box_

 _Bela Lugosi's dead_  
 _Bela Lugosi's dead_  
 _Undead undead undead_  
 _Undead undead undead_  
 _Bela Lugosi's dead..."_

Aileen gulped. This place made her incredibly uneasy.

"Oy, little man," the bearded man said to Maxwell. "You look a little lost. You sure you're in the right place?"

"Aye," Maxwell nodded. "I came for a drink."

"You came for a drink?" the man asked with a laugh. "I don't think you can handle the drinks we have in here."

"Oh yeah?" Maxwell perked up. "I bet I can."

"Yeah? Give it a shot, then." The bearded man pushed his barrel mug over to Maxwell.

Maxwell lifted the giant cup and took a sip. He winced, but then upturned the mug and gulped one large slurp after another. He drank the entire thing, then slammed it onto the countertop in front of the bearded man, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and grinning triumphantly.

"Max, come on..." Aileen said. "Don't drink that stuff."

"I feel warm," Maxwell uttered, placing a hand on his stomach. "Can I have another?"

"Sure thing, little man," the bearded man agreed. He ordered another drink, but Aileen grasped Maxwell by the arm and yanked him off of his stool. She dragged him away from the bar and gave him a surveying once-over.

"What's wrong with you?" Aileen asked. "You can't just drink beer that strangers give you. Especially not in a place like this."

"Why not? M'dad does it..." Maxwell replied. "I wanna be able to..."

"Come on, we're leaving." Aileen pulled him out of the pub and into the darkness of Knockturn Alley.

The two of them walked in silence for a little while. Aileen kept a hold on Maxwell, hoping to keep him from wandering off again. They passed a few wizards and witches as they traveled, but Aileen wasn't sure which way would take them back to Diagon Alley. She considered asking one of the passersby for directions, and then, her eyes zeroed in on one of them; it was someone about her age, but with dark navy hair, and she had a white snake draped around her shoulders. It couldn't be...

"No," Aileen whispered, staring at the dark-haired girl from afar. "She can't be here. She can't be free, can she? Is she school shopping? Are they really gonna let her go back to Hogwarts? After what she did last year? No, they can't..."

"What're you talkin' abou...?" Maxwell slurred.

"OY!" Aileen bellowed.

The dark-haired girl spun around, and just as Aileen suspected, she came face to face with none other than Erika Sayre. Erika was a young Slytherin prodigy, and Aileen's biggest rival - but that wasn't the extent of it. Last year, she'd worked as a mole inside of Hogwarts so that she could help her uncle - an ex-Death Eater named Valefor - to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from the school. Erika and Valefor were Xyler supporters, and after the headmaster of Hogwarts himself played witness to her treachery last year, Aileen expected the Ministry to throw the book at her. How could she be here, out in the open, shopping for school supplies and walking around unsupervised? Why on earth would they have let her go free?

"Oh," Erika said, stroking the chin of her albino snake. "It's _you_."

Aileen stormed towards her, drawing her wand and preparing for a fight.

"I haven't done anything," Erika said calmly. "Put your wand away. My uncle was the one who wanted to kill you. I didn't really care if you lived or died."

"Shut up!" Aileen snarled. "What are you doing out here?!"

"What do you mean, out here? You mean in public? Well, even us introverts have to do some school shopping, you see," Erika replied.

"You know what I mean," Aileen said impatiently. "Why are you out of jail? Why did they let you go free?"

Erika laughed at her. "You _really_ ought to crack a book open sometime. They don't put underaged wizards in Azkaban. In fact, they couldn't charge me with anything. All they could do was ask me questions about my uncle, and since I have no idea where he is now, I had nothing to tell them. So, here I am. Apart from a little probationary supervision in Hogwarts... I pretty much got off scott-free."

Aileen became furious at hearing this. It took her a moment to realize that the end of her wand had caught fire, and she quickly waved it from side to side, extinguishing the flame.

"Still can't control your powers, I see," Erika commented. "Nothing's changed."

"I don't care if the Ministry sees it or not. I _do_ see it," Aileen seethed. "I know you're still on Xyler's side, and I know he had something to do with my mother's death."

Erika gave her a blank stare. "You're really paranoid, aren't you?"

"I was right about you, wasn't I?" Aileen snarked.

Erika scoffed. "Whatever you say, loser."

 _"You're_ the loser," Maxwell blurted, stumbling in front of Aileen and trying to glare at Erika, though it looked like he was having trouble seeing straight. "Nobody likes you. You're mean, and creepy, and... and mean."

"Am I supposed to care what _you_ think?" Erika quipped sarcastically. "You're an even bigger loser than she is, four-eyes."

 _"Incendio!"_ Aileen screamed, shooting off a fireball. Erika drew her wand just in time to deflect the spell.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, heaving deep breaths and staring hatefully into each other.

"Now, now," Erika said. "Do you really want to start a fight here? This is where all my friends are. I can beat you by myself - but with all the witches and wizards around here, you'd get torn apart."

"Don't talk to my friend like that," Aileen ordered. "You say another word to Max, and I'll turn all your toes into maggots."

The few older witches and wizards who happened to be walking by all stopped, focusing on the two girls with their wands drawn. Aileen didn't look at any of them, but she was well aware of their lingering eyes. Was Erika really friends with all of these people? She couldn't hope to take them _all_ on.

Erika giggled. "Why're you so protective of your friends all the sudden? What, you think you're actually standing for something? You think you're some hero of justice against the cruel world of dark magic and other things you don't understand? Life isn't black and white. Get off your high horse and grow up."

Erika withdrew her wand, turned, and walked away. Aileen considered hexing her while her back was turned, but she decided against it. After Erika was gone, Aileen let out a huge, frustrated sigh. She hated hearing Erika talk. Erika always knew just what to say to get under her skin, and it always worked.

"She's stupid," Maxwell said, turning to her and nearly falling over. Aileen grasped him by the shoulder and steadied him.

"We have to get out of here," Aileen replied. "This place is dangerous, and you... you're totally smashed. I can't believe you drank all that beer."

Maxwell let out a long, sluggish laugh.

"Your dad is gonna kill me..." Aileen murmured. "C'mon."

The two of them continued down the alley, Aileen keeping a hold of Maxwell's sleeve with one hand and her wand with the other.

Just when they were about to turn a corner, a tall, cloaked wizard stepped in front of them and blocked their path. Behind the stranger was an exit, and Aileen was able to see the passersby wizards in Diagon Alley, but she couldn't get to the exit... not with this man blocking their way...

"Check this out," the creepy man said, pulling what looked like a plastic beehive from his cloak and holding it out in front of them.

Maxwell reached out to it, but Aileen swatted his hand away.

"We'd like to leave," Aileen told the stranger. "Let us by, please."

The cloaked man took the peculiar beehive into both hands and began to pry it open. just then, an endless swarm of bees exploded from the foe beehive. Aileen and Maxwell both yelped and leaped back in fear, making the cloaked man erupt into laughter. Aileen let out a burst of fire, hoping to burn all the bees away, but there were too many...

Then, a monstrous man appeared behind the cloaked stranger. He lifted the creepy man off his feet with a single hand. The fake beehive hit the ground, and the giant man threw the cloaked stranger over Aileen and Maxwell's heads, making him flip and tumble deeper into Knockturn Alley. The bees scattered into the air and vanished.

"GET YER JOLLIES BY SCARIN' LITTLE KIDS, DO YEH?" a familiar, thundering voice bellowed from the mouth of the giant man. "GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"

The cloaked stranger scrambled away.

"Yeh must be lost, you two," Hagrid said, looking down and grinning at Aileen and Maxwell. "C'mon, get outta there."

Hagrid stepped aside and allowed them to exit Knockturn Alley.

"Got lots o' weirdoes roaming the streets in that place," Hagrid told them, scowling at the alley and shaking his head. "Not th' place for kids yer age."

Aileen let out a cloud of breath. She was overjoyed to see Hagrid.

"What're you doin' out here?" Maxwell asked.

"Oh, jus' grabbin' a few things for Professor Arius," Hagrid answered. "Been fixin' up the school real nice, he has. He ain't Dumbledore, but he's doin' his best. Ain't gonna let n'more boggarts into the school... and we definitely gotta keep Death Eaters out. Where're your parents, anyway?"

"They're shopping," Aileen said. "We were supposed to meet them at Sullivans and Associates."

"Well, c'mon then, A'leen. I'll take yeh to find 'em," Hagrid offered. He led them through the crowd, and it was easy enough for him to find Ross and Samuel, as he stood towering over the rest of the witches and wizards. Ross and Samuel were standing outside of Sullivan & Associates holding bags and talking with Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and George. Albus, James, Fred, and Lily were already accompanying their parents.

Hagrid gave Harry a friendly greeting, looking particularly pleased to see his old friend. Samuel and Ross were quick to bombard Aileen and Maxwell with a barrage of questions, both of them wanting to know why they'd shown up late. Aileen explained that they'd gotten lost in Knockturn Alley. She expected Ross to be angry about Maxwell drinking beer, but instead, Mr. Connelly let out a loud, hearty laugh. "Didja' get your fill of it, son?" he'd said, patting Maxwell on the back. "You're lookin' a little fuddled! Ha!"

"Thank you for bringing them back, Hagrid," Samuel said.

"Ah, don' mention it," Hagrid replied. "Lookin' after this bunch is second nature ter me, and I've got _you_ three to thank fer that." He narrowed his eyes at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, then laughed.

"Oy," Samuel said, giving Aileen a smirk. "Got something for ya', hothead."

Aileen stared at him. She'd only just noticed that he had one arm hidden behind his back.

"When I went to school, I was the best Chaser in Hogwarts. That was in my third year," Samuel told her. "I was stuck using one of the standard brooms from Mad'am Hooch's selection, though. Made the best of it, I did. But I always wanted a Nimbus variant or a Firebolt. Couldn't dream of affording it. I got a Comet 180 for Christmas, but that was the best I ever got. So... just in case you get the notion to try out for Quidditch this year... I want you to have something nice to give you the edge I never had."

Then, Samuel revealed a long, beautiful broomstick. It looked to be made of redwood, and Aileen was certain that she'd never seen a more attractive shade of red before in her life. The broom had two small, silvery footrests, and the straws at the back were a brighter, louder shade of crimson than the wood.

"Sullivan's came out with these earlier in the year," Samuel said. "It's called an Atomic Fire. Hottest broomstick on the market now."

"Wow..." Aileen's mouth dropped open, and she gently stroked the straws of the broomstick. "This is... amazing. Thank you, Daddy, thank you!"

Samuel smiled, handing the broom over to his daughter. "So, what d'ya' think? You wanna try out for Quiddich?"

Aileen beamed up at him. "Yeah, I think I do. It sounds like fun."

"Be sure to write me and tell me if you make the team. If you do, I'll be there for every match. Ya' hear?"

"Okay, I will."

The adults gathered their children and prepared to venture off to the Leaky Cauldron. They drank together with Hagrid, and everyone laughed, talked, and joked until the day was over. Aileen was itching to try out her new broom, but she knew she wouldn't be able to when they returned to the carnival. There would be too many muggles around.

At sunset, everyone stepped outside and prepared for their exit apparation. Ross took Samuel and Maxwell by the arms, and Samuel grabbed Aileen's wrist. They said their goodbyes to Albus and Rose, and just before Ross apparated them home, Aileen caught a glimpse of Erika further down Diagon Alley, standing alongside her parents and talking to a house elf. Her parents had the same dark hair as her, but their expressions were much lighter, much happier. Erika didn't seem to be focused on either of her parents. She was lost in deep conversation with her family's house elf.

Aileen watched with rapt curiosity until Ross finally took them out of London.

 _Crack._


	3. Adjustments

"Love you, kiddo. Write me every chance you get, yeah?"

After returning to the O'Heidin Carnival, Ross took Maxwell home, and Aileen and Samuel spent their last night of the holidays talking about different Quidditch techniques. Now, it was almost eleven in the morning, and the Hogwarts Express was going to leave soon. Ross had brought Samuel to the train station along with Aileen, and both of the adults were trading goodbyes with their children.

Samuel hugged Aileen and kissed her on the forehead. Aileen grabbed her trunk, somehow managing to hold both her new broomstick under her arm and keep a grip on Ziggy's cage, and off she went behind Maxwell; the two children crossed the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. Aileen and Maxwell boarded the train and found an empty room to sit in. As the train filled with passengers, Albus, Rose, and Scorpius appeared in the doorway and took their seats with Maxwell and Aileen.

"Can't stand sitting with the older Slytherins," Scorpius said. "Bloody annoying, they are..."

Rose gently closed the sliding door and locked it, then sat on the edge of the bench and cracked open one of her new school books. Ziggy the python flicked his tongue curiously between the bars of the cage. Maxwell laid against the window and fell asleep almost immediately. Albus was feeding his ferret, and Scorpius was staring very intently at the broomstick that Aileen had placed against the wall.

"Where on earth did you get that?" Scorpius asked Aileen. "Is that an Atomic Fire? A real one?"

"Yup," Aileen replied with a smile. "My dad got it for me."

"My father bought me a Nimbus 2010," Scorpius replied. "He's going to send it to me if I make the team."

Aileen blinked. "You're trying out for the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

"Yep," Scorpius said. "I'll be a Seeker, just like my father was."

Aileen looked down in thought. She hadn't thought about which position she would try out for. Perhaps she'd try out for Chaser like her father had. That way, she and Scorpius wouldn't be competing for the same position. Besides, Aileen didn't think she'd be good at beating bludgers or blocking goals. She couldn't see herself in a defensive position like Keeper - she'd get far too restless doing that - but being a Beater would be a touch too violent for her tastes. Chaser would suit her the best. It was the perfect level of offensive, but without beating anyone off their broomsticks with enchanted dodge balls.

"You'll both have to try really hard," Rose said without looking up from her book. "They don't like to admit younger players to the Quidditch teams. Older players tend to be more skilled, and less likely to get injured, too."

"My dad was the youngest Seeker in a century. He was a year younger than us," Albus commented. "You can become a Quidditch player no matter how old you are."

"Oh, I know that," Rose replied. "I know there aren't any real age restrictions, but they don't _like_ to put younger players on the teams if they can help it. That's all I meant. Aileen, Scorpius - if you want to make the team, you'll have to try really hard. You'll have to be really good at controlling your brooms and dodging bludgers. You'll need to practice."

Aileen and Scorpius traded glances. Both of them had a bit of practice in Flying class last year, but neither of them had really polished their skills. Aileen would always try to duck out of Flying early to prepare for the Dueling Club. She didn't give her flying skills nearly enough attention. That would have to change.

"I wish I could've practiced at home..." Aileen mumbled. "Too many muggles around..."

"I thought you came from a pureblood family?" Rose said.

"I do, but my dad owns a muggle carnival," Aileen replied. "It's in the middle of a big tourist spot, so it's full of muggles. Inishmore."

"Inishmore?" Scorpius repeated.

"Inishmore is the largest of the Aran islands of Ireland," Rose explained. "Don't you ever read?"

Scorpius frowned at her.

"There aren't a lot of people living there, but it has a lot of tourist attractions, so... it gets a lot of visits in the summer," Aileen said. "Dad can pass off his fire spells as a circus trick, but I can't just go flying a broom over everyone's heads."

"Oh... your dad... how is your dad doing, by the way?" Rose inquired in a delicate tone.

Everyone turned to Aileen.

Aileen shifted eyes between all of them, feeling annoyed.

"He's fine," she said shortly. "We're both doing fine, okay? Don't worry about it."

Everyone went silent. No one spoke again until Rose flipped open the latest _Daily Prophet._

"What...?" Rose gasped, turning the paper around and showing everyone the main article. "Look at this!"

Aileen squinted at it. The paper flashed a large picture of Mar'Ilan stepping calmly out of the Ministry, accompanied by her parents. The paper read;

* * *

 **THE SAYRE FAMILY NAME: CLEARED**

 _Ambitious and cunning first-year at Hogwarts, Erika Vith Sayre, descendant of the founder of Ilvormorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,_

 _Isolt Sayre, has finally been cleared of all charges. The young witch was recently charged with conspiracy under allegations that she was, in fact,_

 _working under cover for the new Dark Lord on the rise, Xyler. Now we have confirmation that she has been cleared of any and all crimes she may_

 _have been an accessory to. "She was obviously under the influence of the Imperius Curse," says Erika's mother, Marianne. "That crazy uncle of_

 _hers was trying to turn her over to the dark side. We had no idea that he was using our daughter. Andy Sayre must be found and locked away!" No word_

 _yet from Erika's father, Charles Sayre. Erika claims that she was, indeed, working under the influence of the Imperius Curse when she helped her_

 _uncle to sneak into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As of now, the current whereabouts of Andy Sayre - better known as Valefor - are unknown._

* * *

Aileen stopped reading. She knew that Erika was set free, but she hadn't heard anything about an Imperius Curse before now.

"So she's one of _those_ Sayres... I knew I heard that name before..." Rose muttered. "Isolt Sayre, the woman who founded Ilvermorny in America... she was Irish, you know. She wasn't the last Sayre in Ireland when she left. I mean, _apparently_ she wasn't, if this article is right... and I think they're related to the Finnigan family..."

"I'm related to the Finnigan family," Aileen replied. "I think my mom's parents were Finnigans, but I never met them, so..."

"You and Erika might be related, then," Rose suggested. "I mean, it makes sense..."

"Gross," Aileen scowled. "I hope not..."

"It really does make sense," Rose went on. "The Sayres were descendants of Salazar Slytherin, and you and Erika are both parseltongues. Maybe you're both related to Salazar Slytherin. You're both strong, you both talk to snakes, you both come from an Irish heritage that links back to Salazar, and you're both Slytherins. He lived such a long time ago, it's hard to say, but... anything's possible."

"I can't believe she's trying to pass off everything she did like that," Aileen said. "She said she was under the Imperius Curse? Yeah right..."

"Well, she could have been," Rose proposed.

"No, she wasn't," Scorpius intervened. "I grew up with her. She went to all the same little family meetings I did, and she went to the same pre-Hogwarts training sessions as me, too. She's always acted that way, always expressed an interest in Dark Arts. She's been that way her whole life. She couldn't have possibly been under the Imperius Curse that whole time."

"Her uncle was still a part of her family at some point, wasn't he?" Rose asked. "I mean, if he's an animagus, he could have been living right under Erika's parents' noses. He could have been influencing her for a long time. How else would she have gotten so close to her uncle? She's not old enough to remember Voldemort, so the only way she could have developed a relationship with Valefor was if he was raising her in secret. Erika was born after Voldemort's time, just like us. So, the only way Valefor could've gotten close to her was if he was hanging around while he was on the run. He and Erika must have had a secret family bond that nobody else ever knew about."

"And her brother, too..." Aileen mumbled. "Before Bates Sayre was thrown in Azkaban, he would've been a part of their little clique. The three of them must've been like a secret family cult."

"Valefor was trying to influence the new generation so he could eventually raise another group of dark wizards..." Albus figured. "A new army to pick up the slack after Voldemort's Death Eaters were gone..."

"Only this time, it's not for Voldemort," Aileen said. "It's for Xyler."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the snack cart. Maxwell leaped to his feet, and just like last year, he blew a good portion of his money on candy and returned to his seat with an ocean of snacks pouring out of his lap. He handed out candies to everyone, and Aileen picked up Rose's _Daily Prophet_ and decided to thumb through it while biting off small chunks of a Chocolate Frog's body. Her eyes landed on the second article of the front page, just under Mar'Ilan's picture.

* * *

 **AURORS LOSING THEIR TOUCH?**

 _The elite team of aurors on the hunt for Xyler consists of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ross Connelly, Raphael Williams, and now, auror-in-training_

 _Edward (Teddy) Lupin. When renowned auror Raphael Williams joined the team, many expected the task of locating Xyler to become_

 _an easier feat, but such isn't the case. The Minister for Magic, Mrs. Hermione Weasley, has expressed her full support of the team, but_

 _critics say that the Minister's opinion may be clouded by an emotional bias. "I rather think the aurors are losing their touch," says Andrew_

 _Thomas, a controversial journalist for_ Wizards Weekly. _"It's been ages since Potter, Weasley, Connelly, or Williams have seen a proper fight._

 _Not to mention, they've taken a half-breed into their ranks, and the kid is inexperienced, no less. How could they hope to succeed when they're_

 _picking up after a kid who has no idea what he's doing? Edward's father, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf. Was he not? Doesn't that leave us to_

 _conclude that he's unstable as well as inexperienced? And they still think it's a good idea to throw him into this team of so-called elites?"_

 _Andrew Thomas, despite facing a multitude of backlash for his seemingly discriminatory views, has a surprising amount of support among_

 _his readers. In his latest article of_ Wizards Weekly, _he states; "Does no one find it strange that these aurors have been looking for Xyler_

 _for two years now, and in all that time, they've accomplished nothing? Even the headmaster of Hogwarts is flaunting his incompetence_

 _regarding the Xyler threat. How is it that an ex-Death Eater finds his way into Hogwarts, of all places? And this happened on Zander_

 _Arius's watch? Does no one take the threat of dark wizards seriously since the fall of you-know-who? Does everyone think that_

 _the world is suddenly free from the threat of dark magic just because you-know-who is gone?"_

* * *

Aileen tossed the paper aside. If she read any further, she feared she might accidentally set the _Daily Prophet_ ablaze out of anger.

For a while, Maxwell and Rose traded stories about what they did on their holiday, and Aileen simply watched the world go by from the window. When the sun began to set outside, everyone determined that it was time to change into their robes.

The train came to a stop, and everyone flooded the platform. Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, Scorpius, and Rose all passed by Hagrid and gave him a wave as they followed the other second years towards the castle. Aileen had almost forgotten how beautiful Hogwarts was under the night sky.

As the crowd maneuvered away from the train, Aileen bumped into someone. It wasn't a person; she looked down, spotting a house elf about a foot away. At first, she thought it might have been Allister - the house elf in charge of cleaning and serving the Slytherin house - but it wasn't. This elf was shorter, and he wore a pine green curtain around his skinny body, which looked almost comically similar to a toga.

"Anguis, get over here," Erika's voice demanded from a short distance away.

The little house elf, Anguis, thumped over to Erika's side.

"Why did you bring a house elf here?" Aileen asked. "Too lazy to carry your own luggage?"

"He belongs to my family, if you _must_ know," Erika answered coldly. "My parents thought it would be a good idea to lend him to the Hogwarts kitchens while I'm in school. I guess it's my parents' way of getting back on Arius' good side. _Not_ that it's any of your business."

"Tch. Good luck with that," Aileen snarked.

Erika gave her a snarling look before turning up her nose and marching away with her house elf following suit.

"I guess it makes sense," Rose said. "The kitchens haven't had as many house elves since the Battle for Hogwarts. A lot of them died back then. Plus, they have house elves taking care of the different houses now, too... it makes sense that they'd be short on house elves in the kitchen nowadays..."

When everyone arrived to the Great Hall, Aileen said her goodbyes to her friends before she and Scorpius broke off and sat at the Slytherin table. They waited patiently for the first years to be sorted, and soon after, Headmaster Arius stood before the school to give his opening speech. Aileen almost exploded into laughter when she laid eyes on Arius; this year, his silver, weirdly wavy bangs had green streaks in them, and he was wearing a large, goofy hat made from dragon skin, which had a variety of random items protruding from it, including a phoenix feather, a mysterious stuffed hand with massive claws, and a fox's tail. Aileen clamped her hand over her mouth, chortling even harder when she saw Professor Crowley's expression at the teacher's table. Professor Crowley was repeatedly stealing glimpses of Professor Arius's hat, then looking away and shaking his head, smirking into his lap and having just as hard of a time hiding his amusement as Aileen.

"Welcome, welcome, you little wonders, you," Professor Arius said with a fittingly eccentric grin.

"Nice hat!" James called out, making the entire Gryffindor table erupt with laughter.

"Thank you, James," Professor Arius replied. "I truly appreciate that comment. But I'm sorry to say, if you interrupt me again, you're going to be doing all your lessons from the dungeon until the day you graduate. Now... does anyone else want to comment on my hat?"

"Where can I buy one?!" Fred yelled.

"Fred, I don't want to hear from you or James until you're both seventeen, alright?" Professor Arius shouted. "Otherwise I'm confiscating both of your wands and selling them on the internet."

Many of the students didn't laugh. But all the students who came from muggle families - the students who actually knew what the internet was - filled the Great Hall with booming laughter, choking and slamming their hands on the tables.

"I fashioned this hat from every creature that I've killed in the past year," the headmaster said.

Immediately, the Great Hall fell silent.

Professor Arius laughed. "Good, now that I've got your attention... welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now, as you all probably know by now, we had an interesting turn of events last year. I won't go into details, but sufficed to say, all of your belongings are being searched as we speak, and every pet will undergo a series of security spells. Don't worry, the spells are completely harmless. We just need to make sure that no animagi have slipped into Hogwarts. This year will be no different from any other, and the grounds are completely secure, I assure you..."

As the speech carried on, Aileen stopped paying attention. She pet Ziggy on the head, and moments later, she felt a hard brush against her back, which nearly sent her face-first into the table. She looked up to see Hagrid towering over her.

"Gotta take yer snake, there, red," Hagrid said. "Security stuff, don' worry. We'll bring 'im right back to yeh."

Aileen lifted Ziggy from her body and handed him off to Hagrid. Hagrid lumbered out of the Great Hall with Aileen's python in his hands.

Professor Arius continued his introductory speech, and Aileen's eyes wandered around the Great Hall. Professor Crowley was whispering to Professor Longbottom, Maxwell was falling asleep on the Hufflepuff table, Scorpius was sitting across from her and looking as bored as ever, and Erika was combing her hair at the very end of the table. Minutes Later, a small, black owl whizzed into the Great Hall, but nobody seemed to notice. Aileen watched the owl. It fluttered to a stop in front of Mar'Ilan, dropped a tiny package on the table in front of her, and flew out of the room in a flash. Aileen glimpsed around, wondering if anyone else had noticed, then returned her focus to Erika.

Erika began to open the package as slowly and quietly as possible, wearing a confused expression as she did. Judging by the look on her face, she hadn't been expecting to receive any mail, especially so soon after arriving to Hogwarts.

Aileen met eyes with Scorpius, making a subtle head nod toward Erika. Scorpius blinked, followed Aileen's trail of sight, and narrowed his eyes at Erika suspiciously.

Erika pulled a folded note from the package, read over it for a moment, then retrieved a tiny vile of pinkish liquid from the small box. Hesitantly, she opened it and drank the liquid, then placed the empty vial back in its package.

Aileen and Scorpius traded bewildered looks.

"Looked like a love potion to me," Scorpius whispered. "Did somebody send her a love potion?"

"I doubt it," Aileen murmured in response, still watching Erika intently. "Who would want her to fall in love with them? That'd be a death sentence."

They both snickered.

Erika held her wand in her lap, making a small swishing movement and muttering under her breath. Just then, the package, the note, and the empty vial transformed into a necklace, a bracelet, and a ring. She slipped each article of jewelry on, hid her wand away, and returned her attention to Professor Arius.

Aileen and Scorpius swapped confused looks again.

"Good way to get rid of the evidence, I guess," Scorpius uttered. "Guess she didn't want anyone reading whatever was on that note."

Aileen shrugged. "What d'you suppose she's up to?"

"Dunno," Scorpius replied. "Maybe her parents just sent her some killer-cold medicine..."

Aileen glared down the table at Erika. Last year, Samuel had sent Aileen a bag of killer-cough drops along with one of his letters. The killer-cold was a magical version of the common cold, and every year when the weather grew colder, many parents would send their children various forms of killer-cold medicine. Perhaps that's all it was. Perhaps there was nothing suspicious about it.

* * *

During the first week of school, Aileen felt happier than she had in over a month.

Occasionally, she'd open her locket and talk to the family portrait of herself, her mother, and her father. Sometimes, the picture would reply to her, but the voices were so small and muffled, she'd have to hold the locket to her ear in order to hear them.

Allister the house elf was overjoyed to see Aileen again. The first time she set foot in the Slytherin common room this year, Allister had tackled her with a waist-around hug. Just like the previous year, Allister would scavenge whatever meat he could to feed Ziggy, and Aileen hadn't even asked him to. Professor Crowley announced that he would be resuming the Dueling Club's meetings on the third week, and everyone who was interested in rejoining needed to sign up. Aileen, of course, was one of the first to sign her name. But before the Dueling Club's meetings, Mad'am Hooch stated that Quidditch tryouts were going to take place on the second Friday. Aileen sat with Maxwell and Albus in the Great Hall on Friday afternoon, and Aileen was rushing through her homework as carelessly as ever, hoping to finish in time to head to the Quidditch tryouts. Maxwell and Albus struggled to keep up with her writing pace (not realizing that she was guessing all of her answers), and once they were all done answering questions about the practicality of transfiguration, Aileen sprinted off to collect her Atomic Fire and ran to the Quidditch arena, Maxwell and Albus hurrying along behind her.

"W-wait-up!" Maxwell panted.

"I've been practicing my flying all week!" Aileen called back. "I wanna get on the team! I really want to!"

Once they all arrived to the field, Aileen saw that it was already filled with students from every house, but nobody was flying yet. The Gryffindors were loitering near the edge of one of the stands, the Ravenclaws were trading strategy ideas across the field, the Hufflepuffs were trying to determine who would practice first, and the Slytherins stood nearest by, silently preparing their brooms and mentally prepping themselves for the tryout.

Aileen opened her locket and stared down at the tiny picture. Samuel's picture gave her a thumbs up, and Melody's picture spoke, very faintly; "I love you, sweetheart. Good luck."

"I love you too, Mum," Aileen said.

"Knock 'em dead, hothead," Samuel's picture told her.

Aileen nodded, closed the locket, kissed it, and tucked it away in her robes.

Scorpius was standing in front of the Quidditch captain, and he seemed to be the only student interested in what the captain had to say. Near the Gryffindor crowd, Aileen spotted a tall, handsome student standing in the heart of the group. In fact, he seemed to be the main attraction. The crowd had formed around him, and many of them weren't here for the tryouts. Most of them were girls, and they were all giggling and talking a mile a minute.

"Oh... man..." Albus moaned. "I hate that guy..."

"Who?" Aileen asked.

"Him!" Albus pointed to the handsome student in the middle of the Gryffindor pack. "That's Eric Volin. He's the captain of the Gryffindor team... and he's a twat."

"Really? How so?"

"Just look at him. Can't you see it?"

Aileen squinted. Eric Volin had a head of wavy brown hair and a perfectly carved face, and his flashy Gryffindor Quidditch cloak presented such an obnoxious red, it was a wonder how his fangirls didn't go blind at the sight of him. He wore a very proud smile as he talked with his fans.

"He treats everyone like crap," Albus sighed. "He's really good at everything, so... he thinks he's better than everyone else."

"Who's the Slytherin captain?" Aileen asked, looking over to the slender, lean student that was talking to Scorpius.

"That's Callidus Catus," Albus told her. "He's okay, I guess. He doesn't talk much outside of Quidditch. I don't really know much about him..."

Callidus Catus appeared to be a slender, yet toned individual, and he wasn't very tall, despite his leaderly appearance. He had jet black hair that was barely half an inch long, a slim face with perfectly pronounced cheekbones, and a pair of searing blue eyes. The other Slytherins were gathering around with Scorpius, each of them listening to Callidus closely now.

"... and not _all_ of you will make the team, rest assured," Callidus was saying. His voice was smooth and subtle, but it held a certain authority as well. "We're meant to spar with Gryffindor first. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs will be taking their tryouts after we're finished. _I_ will pick who gets to try first," he said straightly, shooting a severe look to everyone who opened their mouths to interrupt him. "Now, calmly and quietly, tell me... which of you are trying out for Beater?"

"I am!"

"Me!"

"Me too!"

Several of the older students called out. Most of them were burly or chubby, and Aileen recognized a couple of them from last year as the Slytherins who would regularly bully Allister. They certainly had the bodies and the attitudes suited for Beaters.

"Very well. You, what is your name?" Callidus said, pointing to the fattest of them.

"Derick Adkins," the chubby Slytherin replied.

"Very well, Derick. You will try for Beater first. Now, who intends to try out for Keeper?"

More Slytherins raised their hands, but none of them yelled this time. Callidus pointed out the tallest of them. "Your name?"

"Monroe," the tall Slytherin said.

"Monroe will be the first to try for Keeper. Who intends to try out for Seeker?"

A few Slytherins, including Scorpius, raised their hands.

Callidus skimmed over all of them. He almost pointed to a fourth year, then spotted Scorpius standing close by.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Callidus said. "You'll try out for Seeker first. And who intends to try out for Chaser?"

More students raised their hands. Aileen did as well.

"I'm a Chaser, which leaves two positions open at a time for tryouts," Callidus informed. "Hm... you, your name?" He motioned to a lanky fifth year.

"Alexander Milton," the fifth year said.

"And you?" Callidus pointed to Aileen.

"Ah... Aileen O'Heidin," Aileen replied hesitantly, suddenly wishing she hadn't raised her hand right away.

"Alright. You two will try out for Chaser first," Callidus told them. "We'll wait for the Gryffindors to get ready, and we'll begin."

Aileen gulped. For two weeks, she'd been practicing like mad in Flying Class, but she wasn't sure she was ready for this. Maybe she should have let the others try out first, just to see how it was done...

"Hey, you can do this," Albus said. "Just do what you do in class."

"Yeah, you're a great flyer," Maxwell agreed.

"Yeah, but... I'm just playing around when I fly in class..." Aileen murmured. "This is the real game... with rules, and stuff..."

"Your dad did it," Maxwell said. "If he can, you can."

"Yeah, and you called the Blades of Salazar from the Sorting Hat," Albus added. "If you can't make the Quidditch team, who can?"

Aileen nodded, gripping her broom tight and trying to compose herself.

Callidus strolled over to the Gryffindors, crossing his arms and glaring pensively at Eric Volin.

"Are you finished flirting?" Callidus said.

"Not quite yet," Eric replied smugly, shooing him away and laughing along with the girls surrounding him.

"Yes, you are," Callidus said flatly. "We're not waiting around all day for you."

Callidus glimpsed over to the stands, where a young, pale Gryffindor boy was sitting against the wall. His eyes moved back to Eric.

"Who is that?" Callidus asked, pointing to the boy. "And these girls? Anyone watching the tryouts ought to be in the stands, not on the grounds. It's a rule."

"That's just my little brother," Eric replied nonchalantly. "He's here to watch the tryouts. And so are the girls. Want me to introduce you? This is the tall girl, this is the blonde girl, this is the tall blonde girl-"

"Shut up," Callidus snarled. "Get them off the grounds and get a move on, will you? We're all ready to go."

"Sorry, ladies," Eric said, straightening out and grabbing his broom. "Dr. Buzzkill says you have to leave. Go have a seat and watch me work my magic."

The girls all whined a loud, annoying _"Aaaaaaaw!"_ just before Eric swaggered onto the field. He thoughtlessly picked out his first-tryout team members and instructed them to mount their brooms. The fangirls and the young Gryffindor boy made their way to the top of the stands, as did Maxwell and Albus, and the Slytherins mounted their brooms as well.

The Bludgers and the Snitch soared onto the field, and the captain of the Ravenclaw team tossed the Quaffle into the air.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins became airborne at once, and it began.


	4. Name of The Game

Without thinking, Aileen flew into the air.

One of the Gryffindors snatched the Quaffle, and another one bashed his bat against a Bludger, hurtling it towards the Slytherins. Scorpius spun around it, performing a barrel-roll before shooting into the air. Aileen didn't have time to be fascinated by it; the Bludger came for her next, and she followed Scorpius into the sky in order to avoid it.

Derick Adkins launched the second Bludger at the Gryffindors. It nailed one of the chasers in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him drop the Quaffle. Callidus swooped in and grabbed the Quaffle, and both of Slytherin's Beaters went after him.

"Holy..." Aileen gasped, gripping her broom more tightly as her heart hammered in her chest. Everything had started so fast, she barely had time to adjust.

Her eyes darted around, and she realized that she was on the opposing team's side of the field. Callidus was racing towards her.

"Oh bloody hell-" Aileen muttered, and Callidus tossed the Quaffle into the air for her to catch.

Aileen's arms shot out, and she barely caught it without falling off her broom. In a flash, she was off like a shot, the Quaffle tucked under her arm and her Atomic Fire being steered with only one hand. Callidus came to an abrupt stop in front of the two Beaters; both of them were caught off guard, but one of them managed to swerve around Callidus. The other one smashed into him, nearly knocking himself out of the sky. Callidus kicked him away and flew off.

The Gryffindor Keeper was tracing Aileen's movements in the sky, remaining perfectly align with her so not to let her score. Aileen caught a glint of movement in the corner of her eye, barely ducking in time to dodge the Bludger that whizzed over her head. The Quaffle nearly slipped from her grasp, but she tightened her arm around it and flew off once again. Derick noticed the keeper's movements, and he launched one of the Bludgers at the Gryffindor keeper. It smashed into the rear end of his broom, making him spin and slide off the front. He hung in the air, dangling and trying to climb back on. Aileen took her chance; she made a b-line for the nearest goal and threw the Quaffle in with all her might. It was a score.

"Yes!" Aileen breathed, grinning from ear to ear.

Just then, the other Bludger thrashed into the square of her back. Aileen let out a yelp before snapping her hands around the broomstick and soaring away at top speed, ignoring the striking pain shooting up and down her spine.

Maxwell and Albus, who had been cheering for her the whole time, both winced when the Bludger hit Aileen.

The Gryffindor Keeper scrambled back onto his broom, collected the Quaffle, and threw it into the air for the next round.

Eric Volin snatched the Quaffle out of the air and headed for the Slytherin goals.

Callidus came to a brief stop next to Aileen.

"Don't get cocky," he said before flying away again.

Aileen's smile vanished.

Eric swiveled and swerved around Slytherin's Keeper. The two of them wormed around each other over and over again until Eric launched the Quaffle over his head. The ball grazed the hairs on the Keeper's head and flew through one of Slytherin's goals.

Aileen could tell that Eric was a pro at this game. He'd done this a thousand times before.

The next round began. The Seekers were flying around by themselves, presumably chasing the Snitch, while Aileen soared about with the other Chasers. A Beater hurtled another Bludger at her, and in a panic - seeing the ball flying towards her face like a cannonball - Aileen yanked up the front of her broom, barely managing to knock away the Bludger. It missed her fingers by inches, and the momentum sent her coasting backward several feet.

At this point, she had no idea who had the Quaffle, but she'd find out within seconds. Aileen found herself drifting facing upward after the Bludger hit her broom, and Callidus flew directly over her, dropping the Quaffle into her hands before flying off. Aileen whirled around, hugged the Quaffle, and headed for the Gryffindor goals, but both Beaters were targeting her now, and the goals were too far away. So, she flew past the other Slytherin Chaser and handed the Quaffle off to him. He curved around the opposition and tossed the Quaffle into the closest goal post.

They continued to practice, and with every round, Aileen became less and less nervous. She scored two more goals before her tryout was over, and she didn't know how many goals the other Chasers on her team had gotten compared to hers, but she didn't care. Aileen hopped off her broomstick in the Slytherin stands when it was time to switch tryout players, looking triumphant as she did.

"I think you'll get the team," Maxwell said.

"Yeah, you did good," Albus agreed. "Although... I didn't see Callidus score much. I think he was holding back to give you and the other tryout Chaser more space to play. He wanted to see how good you'd do."

"What did you think?" Aileen asked, letting out an exhilarated breath. "Do you think the other Chaser did better? Do you think he'll get the team instead?"

"Well... I don't know," Albus replied with a shrug. "I mean, you and him both did pretty good. And there are other people waiting to try out for Chaser, too. But there are two places open for Chaser on the team, so... your chances of making it are better than everyone else's, at least."

Aileen felt a wave of dread overcome her like a cold ocean tide. It was incredibly fun, playing on the field like that... but she shouldn't jump to conclusions. There were a crowd of Slytherins waiting down below, wanting to try out for the same position as Aileen, and many of them were older and more experienced than her. She shouldn't get her hopes up now...

"I think Scorpius caught the Snitch right before the last round ended..." Maxwell uttered, leaning over the edge of the railing and squinting at the ground. "I couldn't really see it from up here... did he...?"

"Get away from the edge," Albus said, yanking Maxwell backward by the collar. "Could you imagine falling from up here? You'd splatter all over the ground like a water balloon."

Aileen sat quietly on the bench nearest the field, watching the players closely. Part of her didn't want to see the others try out for her position. She didn't want to see how much better they'd be than she was, but for some reason, she simply couldn't look away...

The stands became silent. Eric Volin's fangirls had left the stands, and Eric's little brother had fallen asleep on one of the benches.

Time passed, and the teams continued to switch players for the tryouts. Aileen watched them whizz about for nearly two hours. The sun was beginning to set, and Aileen was growing more and more restless with every passing minute. She wanted desperately to get up and move, to leave for the Great Hall so she could eat supper, but she couldn't leave yet. She had to know if she'd made the team or not. It drove her mad, sitting as still as a stump, not knowing if she'd make the Slytherin Quidditch team.

After a while, Eric's little brother jolted awake and lost himself in a coughing fit. Aileen glimpsed back at the boy, then returned her gaze to the field.

"We don't have to wait here all night, do we?" Maxwell yawned, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"I don't know if the Quidditch captains are gonna make the decision tonight," Albus told Aileen. "I mean... I don't know how it works. They might not choose the team players tonight, Aileen. They might be planning to announce it this weekend, or next week, or something..."

Aileen didn't reply to him. She didn't know how it worked, either, but she couldn't leave. If they _did_ announce the team players tonight, she had to be here for it. She couldn't risk missing that announcement. No... she had to know if she made the team or not. But what were the odds? As many other Chasers she'd seen try out for the Slytherin team since her tryout? After all, she was only a second year, and Rose had told her that they preferred not to use younger players. Maybe she sat here for hours and wasted her whole afternoon for no reason. Maybe she siphoned all of her energy into flying a broomstick and dodging sentient balls for nothing. She dreaded the walk back to the castle, her head hanging low, her thoughts running rampant, questioning every move she made on the field and trying to determine why she had failed to make the team...

Her anxiety nagged at her ruthlessly, making her stomach tighten up in a nauseating way. She popped open her locket and stared down at her parents, sighing and wishing that the day could be over already.

"Sweety," her mother's picture said.

Aileen held the locket closer so to hear her better.

"I'm proud of you," Melody's portrait told her.

"But I don't even know if I made the team or not," Aileen replied glumly. "I probably didn't..."

"But you did so well," Melody said. "I've always been proud of you, sweetheart. And I always will be."

"And me," Samuel's picture pitched in. "If they don't take you, march your little butt down there and make a bloody scene until they do, ya' hear?"

Aileen smiled weakly at them before closing her locket. She enjoyed talking to the portrait, even if they weren't really her parents, but the sight of her mother, and the sound of her voice... sometimes, it became too much for her. Now, Aileen was lost amidst a roller coaster of emotions, but she tried her damnedest not to show it.

It took her a moment to realize that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken over the field. The Gryffindor and Slytherin tryouts were over.

Aileen gasped; someone appeared directly in front of her, rising from behind the view of the stands. It was Callidus, drifting on his broomstick and stepping onto the stands as smoothly as walking out of an elevator. His expression was positively serious, and it seemed to be the only expression he ever wore. Aileen tried to read his face, but she couldn't. So, she nervously waited for him to give her the news. She could hear it now... the reasons why she failed... the things she did wrong...

Maxwell, Albus, and Aileen all peered up at him expectantly. The seconds of silence seemed to stretch into hours. Aileen couldn't bear it.

"There is a reason why I accepted you and Mr. Malfoy," Callidus said. "Allow me to explain."

"I got the team?!" Aileen exclaimed.

"Yes. Now let me explain why. Don't get excited," Callidus replied sharply.

Aileen went silent.

"Many of the older auditions are previous members of the Slytherin team. They're experienced, yes, but I believe they need a break from their stardom," Callidus said. "They've gotten cocky. They've played the game so much, they believe that their way of playing is the _only_ way of playing, and they tend to be more difficult to cooperate with the longer they're on the team. But you and Mr. Malfoy listened to everything I had to say, and when I gave you an opening, you cooperated. Mr. Malfoy eventually caught the Snitch, and you... you played relatively well. No boasting, no showboating. When you keep cocky people on the team, it results in more Eric Volin's on the field, and no one wants that."

Maxwell and Albus snickered.

"Thank you," Aileen said, trying to mask her overwhelming joy.

"No." Callidus shook his head. "Don't thank me. It's time to give the new players a chance. The old players are spent."

Callidus gave them a wave and flew away on his broom.

Aileen led the others back to the castle with a pep in her step. When they arrived to the Great Hall, instead of filling her empty stomach, Aileen began scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. It would be the best news her father had gotten in ages. She couldn't wait to tell him.

* * *

Quidditch practice would begin in less than a week, and as lessons carried on, Aileen found herself overjoyed. Her schedule was more or less the same as last year, and even in Professor Crowley's class - which was her favorite class - she stared off into space, daydreaming about what it would be like to play in a real Quidditch game.

When her latest Defense Against the Dark Arts class was over, Aileen barely remembered the homework assignment that Professor Crowley assigned, but one of her friends would surely remind her later. She stepped into the hallway and met with Maxwell and Albus, and her eyes were drawn to the end of the corridor, where Erika was standing with a group of older Slytherin girls. It was a strange sight. Last year, Erika spent most of her time by herself. When did she get all those friends?

"I can't believe you were in the paper! That's so cool!" one of the third year Slytherins exclaimed. "So you were under a curse? Really?"

"One of the Unforgivable Curses," another girl corrected her. "It was her own uncle that did it, too."

"Yes," Erika nodded. "It's true."

The girls exchanged gasps and wide-eyed expressions. Aileen scoffed.

"So, did your family take action for a wrongful arrest?" the oldest of the girls asked. "They really should!"

"What's with them...?" Aileen murmured. "Why is everyone clamoring to her?"

"She's part of a prestigious family," Albus said with a shrug. "Everyone keeps up with prestigious wizarding families."

Aileen's face went blank. After the article in the _Daily Prophet,_ she'd expected Erika's reputation to suffer, just like it did last year when rumors began spreading about her involvement with Xyler. But the opposite seemed to be happening. Her being arrested and questioned had apparently gotten her a new level of fame here in Hogwarts.

"That's stupid," Maxwell said. "You pulled the Blades of Salazar from the Sorting Hat. How come no one cares about that?"

"I guess... because Erika's story matters more than mine," Aileen replied. "She comes from an important family, and I'm just some faceless poor kid from Ireland. Nobody cares what happens to me."

"That's not true," Albus retorted.

"Yeah it is," Aileen said. "But that's okay. I'm totally fine with that. I don't have to rely on a reputation to get by. I can take pride in that."

Despite saying this, the following week annoyed her to no end, almost making her forget about her success in the Quidditch tryouts. In every class, there were students whispering to Erika or passing her notes, and every time Aileen saw her in the hallway, she was surrounded by more and more fans. And more to her dismay, every time she tried to talk to Scorpius, he would be swept away by a group of older Slytherins from the Quidditch team. Scorpius had attained a new popularity as well, and the Slytherins were constantly congratulating him on making Seeker. Aileen was happy for him, in a way, but she couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't getting the same praise.

"I guess it makes sense..." she mumbled to herself as she and her friends sat in the Great Hall on the afternoon of her first session of Quidditch practice. "Scorpius comes from a prestigious family, too... everyone cares what happens to the Sayres and the Malfoys..."

Maxwell and Albus swapped looks behind her head.

"Um..." Maxwell said. "Your hair is better than theirs."

Aileen gave him a peculiar squint.

"I mean... you're a better flyer?" Maxwell added. "And... you have fire powers... and... and your dad has a carnival."

Aileen almost wanted to respond with something cold and sarcastic, but instead, she laughed. Maxwell's way of trying to making her feel better was amusing to say the least, and it got a laugh out of her, so in a way, it worked.

"Yeah, I mean... you and your dad are underdog prodigies," Albus said. "You're both really skilled, and nobody notices because you're not rich, but that doesn't mean anything. If anything, it makes you even better than anyone from a prestigious family. You're stronger, and you don't have everything handed to you. You got on the Quidditch team on sheer talent. It had nothing to do with who you knew or what your last name was. You got noticed because you're good, not because you're prestigious."

Aileen smiled at them. "Thanks, you guys."

"No problem," Albus replied. "No one really notices me because my brother outshines me in everything. Either that, or they expect me to do something amazing because I'm a Potter. Honestly, I'd rather be in your shoes."

"Yeah, well... you're overlooked, too, and you shouldn't be," Aileen told him. "None of us should be. We're the best underdogs in the world, aren't we?"

Albus smirked. Maxwell had started gnawing the skin off a chicken leg, and he replied with a thumbs up.

Aileen was sure to keep her supper light and healthy. If she was going to be flying around on a broomstick all afternoon, she didn't want to risk puking. When they finished eating, they headed to Hagrid's hut so Maxwell could visit his pet bear, Julie. Hagrid had been keeping an eye on the bear since last year, and now, it was twice its original size, but it still had a purple bow on one of its ears. Maxwell wrestled with Julie for a while, and Albus spoke with Hagrid about the work his father was doing with the aurors. Aileen was quiet for most of the visit. Eventually, she had to remind her friends that she needed to get to Quidditch practice.

"Oh, yeh made the team, didja?" Hagrid said, wearing a bearlike smile behind his beard. "Good job, A'leen, good job." He patted her on the back, and Aileen stiffened up, bracing herself so not to be knocked to the ground.

"Did you hear about Teddy?" Albus asked Hagrid. "He's working with Dad now. He's gonna be an auror."

"Oh, yeh, heard about tha' a few weeks back," Hagrid replied. "Ruddy paper's been slanderin' them lately. Like to get mah hands on whoever's writin' for them bloody articles. Thinkin' he can't do his job on'a counta' he's related to a werewolf... what a load of-"

"I've gotta go," Aileen said. "I'm gonna be late for practice. You guys can stay here, if you want. I've gotta go."

Without waiting for anyone to reply, Aileen jogged away. She ventured back to the Slytherin common room, entered her dormitory, and snatched up her cloak and her broomstick.

"Is Miss Aileen going to fly?" Allister the house elf asked. "Miss has made the Quidditch team? Oh, that's wonderful, Miss! Allister is so happy for Miss Aileen!"

"Thanks, Allister," Aileen replied quickly, giving Allister a pat on the head before rushing out of the room.

After ten minutes of sprinting, she arrived to the field. The other Slytherin players were already there, but thankfully, practice hadn't started yet.

"Sorry..." Aileen panted, noting the severe look on Callidus' face. "I... I had a lot of homework to catch up on. Sorry I'm late."

"We all have homework," Callidus replied. "Take extra care not to neglect _any_ of your obligations from now on, O'Heidin."

Aileen nodded.

"We're going to start with passes, us Chasers. When we try to score, the Keeper will try to block us, and Mr. Malfoy... well, your job is simple. Is everyone ready?" Callidus announced.

The Slytherins began mounting their brooms. Aileen tried to meander closer to Scorpius, but the fat Beater and the lanky Keeper were hovering close to him, asking him about his father's Seeker techniques.

"Hey," Aileen said, trying to grab Scorpius' attention. "Did you write your dad? Did you tell him you made the team?"

The two Slytherins by Scorpius's side both gave her caustic sneers. Scorpius didn't speak. He replied to her with a subtle nod, rose into the air, and flew off.

Aileen glared after him. _What, now he's not even talking to me?_

Practice began, and Callidus made passes to Aileen and the other Chaser. Aileen did her best not to be distracted by her troubling thoughts as she played. She forced her anxieties away and allowed the freedom of flight to take over her, and soon, she became lost in the rhythm of catching, passing, and scoring with the Quaffle. Every now and then, she had trouble dodging the Bludgers, as her focus was occupied by the routine of passing and scoring, but this time, she didn't take any hits from the Beaters. It was difficult to keep an eye on the Chasers, the Keeper, the Quaffle, and the Bludgers all at once, but that's what made the game so wonderfully hectic.

After half an hour of playing, Aileen noticed that Maxwell, Albus, and Rose had appeared in one of the stands to watch the practice. She waved to them in passing.

When practice was over, night had fallen. Aileen drifted to a stop, and her friends joined her on the field.

"That was excellent," Rose said. "You're doing really well, considering..."

"Considering?" Aileen asked.

"Considering you've never played before," Rose clarified. "I think you've found your calling. Just remember... the real games will be much harder. In the real games, you'll have hundreds of people watching, and a ref will be watching for any rule-breaking, and there won't be more than one Chaser allowed in the scoring area at one time-"

Albus thrust his elbow into Rose's arm, making her go silent.

"It's okay. I'm not nervous anymore," Aileen said, mostly truthfully.

Scorpius smoothly glided off his broom and took a steady stride across the field. The other Slytherins gathered around him.

"Man, you're like a bolt of lightning when you fly," the fat Slytherin said.

"Yeah, you'd give your dad a run for his money," the lanky one added.

"Hey, Scorpius," Rose called out. "You did good. Well done."

"Yeah, awesome job," Maxwell agreed.

Scorpius glimpsed at them as he walked by, then marched off with his Slytherin posse. He didn't reply.

Maxwell and Rose traded eyes.

"Hm..." Aileen groaned. "Someone's getting poisoned by an ego boost. He can't be seen talking to us now that he's popular."

"He's not really like that, is he?" Rose murmured. "I mean, his father was like that when he was in school, but... I always thought he was different from his dad. His father would've never hung around with a Potter or a Weasley. I thought he fit in with us pretty well."

"Well, apparently _he_ doesn't think so anymore," Aileen griped, glaring at the back of Scorpius's head. "Now he thinks he's better than us. That's the name of the game, I guess. You get popular, and you leave your old friends behind. That's charming..."

As the other Slytherins dispersed, Callidus strolled up to Aileen.

"Er... good work," he said. "Yes, you... you did well."

Then, Callidus walked off.

"That bloke is way too serious," Albus muttered. "I don't think he's ever complimented anyone before in his entire life."

"I'd take him as Quidditch captain over Eric Volin any day of the week," Aileen replied.

"Yeah, me as well," Rose commented. "I think Callidus is a fourth year, same as Eric. He acts a lot older, though, doesn't he?"

"Aye. He's only fourteen?" Aileen asked. "Callidus is?"

Rose nodded. "He's in the same classes as Eric, so he must be a fourth year. And Eric... Eric Volin has a little brother, doesn't he?"

"His little brother is in Hufflepuff," Maxwell informed. "His name is Micheal Volin. He never talks to anyone..."

The four of them continued to make small talk as they headed back to the castle. The Great Hall was emptying, and most of the students were already in their dormitories. But when the gang entered the castle, they stopped when they spotted a group of ten-or-so students crowding around something in the hallway.

Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, and Rose drew closer. The group of students were trading frantic whispers, and one of them had knelt down, examining something on the ground. At first, Aileen thought it was a mound of clothing, but upon closer inspection, she saw that the students were huddled around a third year Ravenclaw. The Ravenclaw boy was lying unconscious on the ground, and the students were frightfully circling around him and not knowing what to do.

"What happened?!" Aileen gasped.

"He... he just collapsed!" one of the students exclaimed. "He looks sick! I... I don't know what happened!"

"Well, go get a teacher!" Aileen ordered.

Three of the students darted away to find the nearest professor.

The other Slytherin Quidditch players entered the castle behind Aileen's gang. Scorpius' posse stopped talking when Scorpius held up a hand, motioning for them to silence, his grey eyes narrowing at the scene in the corridor. Callidus marched forward and surveyed the fallen Ravenclaw boy. The Ravenclaw's complexion had faded a ghostly pale, and his skin harbored a series of faint reddish bumps, almost like a small rash.

"Back away from him, everyone, now," Callidus demanded, spreading his arms and gesturing for everyone to back away. "Give the boy some air... and don't touch him. He's ill."

The students stepped away as they were told.

The three students returned with Professor Longbottom.

"Oh... blimey," Longbottom uttered. He headed off with an extra kick in his step, and he returned moments later with Professor Crowley and Mad'am Pomfrey carrying a cot. They lifted the Ravenclaw boy, placed him on the cot, and carried him off to the hospital wing.

Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, and Rose all wore the same grave visage. Aileen felt a lump form in her stomach.

"What made him sick, d'you suppose?" Albus wondered.

"I dunno..." Aileen replied. "But... I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong."


	5. Conflicts & Complications

"Did you hear what happened to Marcus?"

"Yeah, they said it was some mutated form of Dragon Pox. They've never seen anything like it."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"He's awake in the hospital wing now. We can go visit him..."

Days went by, and each day, Aileen listened intently to every bit of gossip as she passed by the other students in the Great Hall. Most of the gossip was the usual pointless banter, but today, she heard someone say 'Dragon Pox,' and she suddenly lost her appetite. Instead of staying for supper, Aileen headed off for the Dueling Club early. Despite using her homework and flying practice as a distraction from her troubling thoughts, Aileen couldn't stop thinking of her mother, of how she contracted Dragon Pox...

Now, a student had fallen ill inside of Hogwarts from something similar. Could it be connected? Could this have something to do with Xyler? Aileen couldn't be sure. Last year, she was lucky to have picked up the scent of a dark wizard, and it was amazing that all of her investigative assumptions actually led her to something important. But now, she didn't know. Was she making too many assumptions? It was just a student falling ill in school. How likely was it that it had anything to do with her mother's death?

Aileen stopped in the doorway of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, opening her locket and staring down at her parents. She wanted to ask them about the Dragon Pox, wanted to know exactly how her mother had died, but she doubted that either of these sentient photographs would give her a real answer. Her real mother was dead, and her father desperately wanted to avoid revisiting the memory of Melody's death.

This year, Professor Crowley wasn't using a spare room for the Dueling Club. He'd been using his classroom. The chairs and tables were all lined up along the walls, making the classroom open and ready for the students to duel, but the room was empty as of now, apart from Crowley and Aileen. Everyone else was still in the Great Hall.

Aileen's eyes drifted up, and she spotted Professor Crowley sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his head slumped back, his eyes closed, and his mouth hanging open. Aileen was able to hear a few faint snores escaping his throat. He seemed exhausted, and he looked even paler than usual.

"Professor...?" Aileen said.

Professor Crowley didn't respond.

Aileen smirked in a mischevious way, slipping her wand from her sleeve and raising it high in the air. _"Incendio!"_

A burst of fire roared up the classroom, making Professor Crowley jolt himself awake. _"Jesus bloody hell-!"_

Aileen erupted with laughter.

Professor Crowley sighed and shook his head. "Oh, that's not _even_ funny..."

Crowley looked like he might have scolded her, but he smirked when she fell to the ground, clutching her stomach and giggling madly until her face faded red.

"You do that to any other teacher, and you'd get expelled on the spot," Professor Crowley said.

"Aye! But it was worth it!" Aileen replied. "What're you doing, anyway, Professor? Why're you sleeping?"

Professor Crowley didn't stand. He gazed downward, his eyelids growing heavy again.

"Tired," he mumbled. "Been busy. Very tired..."

Aileen straightened up and sat cross-legged in front of him. "Been busy doing what?"

"Security," Professor Crowley replied. "Arius needs me for that... being an ex-auror, and all..."

"But... you look sick," Aileen said. "You know... there was a Ravenclaw boy that got sick. He fell in the corridor, and-"

"I know," Professor Crowley told her. "I heard all about that. That's why Arius's been running me ragged. Now he's worried about illnesses leaking into Hogwarts as well as animagi."

"Do you think you might be sick?" Aileen wondered. "I mean, you look kind of..."

"No..." Crowley shook his head. "I know what the problem is..."

Aileen blinked, waiting for him to explain.

Professor Crowley stared tiredly at her, releasing a long sigh.

"Hungry," he said disdainfully. "Nothing to eat."

Aileen went silent. Last year, she and her friends ventured into the Forbidden Forest on Halloween, and Aileen discovered Professor Crowley's secret that night. She, Allister the house elf, and Headmaster Arius were the only people who knew that Professor Crowley was a vampire.

"Well... why can't you just... y'know... go into the forest?" Aileen suggested. "Isn't that what you usually do? Feed on animals?"

Professor Crowley shook his head again. "I can't leave the castle. Arius wants me here at all times. He wants to prevent anything bad from happening... like what happened last year. He thinks I'll be fine just getting by on regular food... I can eat regular food... but I need blood to survive. I need the iron."

Aileen gave him a concerned look. "Do you want me to go find you some-"

"No," Crowley said sharply. "If you go anywhere near that forest, I'll expel you so fast it'll make your head spin. It's extremely dangerous out there."

There was a pause.

Aileen formed an idea, but it was a crazy one, something she'd never considered before now.

"Professor... when you feed on an animal, does the animal die?" Aileen asked him. "I mean... can you feed on something without killing it?"

Professor Crowley squinted curiously at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... if you could feed on something without killing it..." Aileen rolled up the sleeve of her robe. "You could feed on me."

"Oh, no, no, no..." Professor Crowley laughed and shook his head, grabbing the side of the nearest table and forcing himself to his feet. "I'm not going to bite one of my students. No, no, no. Not a chance."

"Why not?"

 _"Why not?_ Aileen, I would never feed on another human being, especially not a student. And apart from the morality of it, I'd get sacked and thrown in Azkaban if anyone found out. No, no, no. There's no chance that's happening. No chance."

Aileen stood as well, peering up at him and looking conflicted.

"Aileen, I'll be fine," Professor Crowley assured her. "I think I'll talk to our friend, Allister. He'll probably be able to find something for me. Don't worry about me, alright?"

"Why don't you just talk to Professor Arius?" Aileen asked. "If you told him, he'd get you something to eat. They make food for vampires in Diagon Alley. He could get you some."

"Professor Arius has enough to worry about," Crowley replied. "I'll bring this to his attention after we've found the cause of this Ravenclaw boy's sickness. After his conscience is at ease, I'll talk to him about it. You don't need to worry."

"There you are," Albus said from the doorway, making Aileen and Crowley both jump.

Albus and Maxwell entered the room.

"Why'd you run off from supper?" Albus asked. "Not hungry?"

"Um... no," Aileen replied. "Not really, no. I just wanted to practice a little bit. That's all. Professor Crowley was giving me some tips."

Professor Crowley sat behind his desk. Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus all began practicing their favorite spells, and Aileen did well to mask her worry for her favorite teacher.

After a while, the classroom began to fill with students. Professor Crowley had fallen asleep in his chair, and the room grew crowded as the students segmented into their usual groups. The older students gossiped with each other, as did the younger ones, though Scorpius still seemed to have an audience of older Slytherins. Aileen shot Scorpius a nasty look. She couldn't wait to duel him...

Aileen scanned around the room until she spotted Erika. At first, she thought that Erika would want to duel her, but Erika seemed to be busy talking to a gaggle of school girls. By her side stood a tall, bored-looking Slytherin boy with short brown hair. He was the only one in the group who wasn't lost in conversation.

Since no one took it upon themselves to start dueling, Aileen went to the desk and gave Professor Crowley a shake, making him stir awake. Professor Crowley started the meeting with a duel between a Ravenclaw girl and a Gryffindor boy. The students watched until it was their turn to jump in, and everyone sat on the tables and chairs aligning the walls, hoping not to get hit by any stray spells.

Albus, Maxwell, and Rose traded conversation. Aileen sat with them in silence, watching each duel and occasionally glimpsing over to Professor Crowley. After a while, Erika and her mysterious Slytherin companion broke away from the band of chattering girls, and Aileen wormed through the crowd, stepping in front of her.

Erika gave Aileen a caustic look.

"Listen," Aileen said calmly. "I don't want to fight. I just wanted to ask you something... out of curiosity."

Erika perked an eyebrow at her.

"Do you know what made that Ravenclaw boy sick?" Aileen questioned.

"Let me guess; you're gonna blame me for it, right?" Erika replied. "Sheesh. Any excuse to throw me under the bus..."

"No," Aileen said seriously. "It's not about you, I just..."

"Then what?" Erika said impatiently.

Aileen sighed.

"My mum died from Dragon Pox... or... they think it was Dragon Pox, anyway," she said. "But Professor Arius said that Dragon Pox doesn't usually pop up in Ireland... and people almost never die from it nowadays. It might not be Dragon Pox. It might be something worse. And-"

"You're jumping the gun," Erika cut her off. "Just because one kid gets sick in school doesn't mean it has anything to do with your mother."

Aileen frowned.

Erika stared at her.

"Look," Erika added. "I hardly know anything about Xyler. All I know is what my uncle told me. And I don't know anything about them using magical diseases as a biological weapon. If they _are_ behind it, then they're pulling it off by themselves, without my help. I'm not their mole anymore. I have nothing to do with it. I wouldn't poison some random Ravenclaw kid for no reason, not even if my uncle told me to."

"How can I believe you?" Aileen said.

"Well, you can keep stalking me and investigating like you did last year, but you won't find anything," Erika replied. "Plus... I know what it's like to lose someone. I wouldn't lie about that."

At that, Erika walked off with her Slytherin friend, leaving Aileen alone at the front of the crowd. She wasn't paying attention to the duel between James Potter and Eric Volin. Her mind was occupied by everything Erika had said. Could she really believe Erika? How could she take Erika's word after everything that happened last year? Perhaps she really _was_ jumping the gun. And, there was no way of knowing for sure whether or not Valefor had her under the Imperius Curse last year. Maybe Aileen had overestimated Erika's involvement with Xyler. Maybe...

The duel ended with Eric bewitching James's scraggly hair, making it grow forty times its usual length. The classroom filled with laughter. Professor Crowley removed the hair-growing spell from James, and then, Scorpius Malfoy stepped forward, waiting for a challenger to oppose him.

Aileen flipped out her wand and took to the front, standing opposite Scorpius and taking a stance.

"Ooooo, the two raging Slytherins!" Fred called out. "Yeah! Just like last year! Keep the tradition alive! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The crowd began to chant along with Fred. Maxwell and Albus pushed their way to the front of the crowd, and Rose joined them.

"Hex her, Malfoy! Hex her!" one of Scorpius's fanboys hollered.

"Turn her hair blonde! Like you did to Erika last year!" another Slytherin yelled. "Her hair is ugly as hell! Change that ginger rat nest into something better!"

"Listen to your cronies," Aileen snarked. "Can't disappoint the people, right, Malfoy?"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at her.

They took a bow, and the duel began.

 _"Homenium Exumai!"_

 _"Protego Redirect!"_

Aileen deflected Scorpius' first spell, making it bounce away from her and hurtling the ball of blue light towards the crowd of Malfoy fanboys. Two of them jumped away, and the third one went flying into the air, landing many yards away on his back.

Most of the non-Slytherin students cheered and screamed joyfully after seeing the Slytherins take a hit.

 _"Everte Statum!"_

Scorpius sent a spell that hit Aileen in the torso, making her fly across the room and smash into the front of Professor Crowley's desk. Aileen felt a wicked pain shoot up and down her spine, but she staggered to her feet and fought back at once.

She couldn't hit him directly, not while he had his full attention on her. So, she began shooting waves of fire.

 _"Incendio! Incendio!"_

Two streams of fire swirled through the air, grazing over the floor and flowing by each of Scorpius' legs. Scorpius looked down, trying to keep his robes away from the flames.

 _"Glacias!"_

Aileen fired off a third spell, and while Scorpius was distracted, a blast of brilliant silver light struck him in the chest. A thick, hard shell of ice formed all around his body, freezing him solid and rooting him motionlessly to the ground.

The crowd became deafening in their shouts of approval.

"Ooooooooh!"

"That was wicked!"

"She froze him! She froze him _solid!"_

"Alright, that's enough," Professor Crowley came forward, sliding his wand from his cloak and waving it over Scorpius. _"Evanesce."_

Once the ice vanished, Scorpius regathered himself and scowled nastily at Aileen.

"What's your problem?!" Scorpius shouted.

"What's _your_ problem?!" Aileen hollered back. "What? Little rich boy can't handle a duel with a nobody like me? Looks like you're not as good as you think you are."

The crowd cheered Aileen on, and she was suddenly reminded of her father whenever he would watch American muggle television. The crowd was beginning to sound like the audience from the Jerry Springer Show, rooting for her and jeering along with her insults.

When Aileen returned to the sidelines, James and Fred took turns high-fiving her.

"Told you he was no good," James said. "One of these days, you really should light him on fire."

"Blimey, what's got you miffed?" Fred asked her. "I've never seen you freeze anyone into a block of ice before."

"Nothing, it's just..." Aileen glimpsed over to Scorpius, who was begrudgingly making his way back to his gang of Slytherins. "I dunno. I thought he was my friend... but ever since he made the Quidditch team, he just..."

"You can't count on Malfoys to stay loyal," James told her. "Look at his father. Look at his grandfather. Look at the lot of them. They switch sides more often than they bathe."

Aileen looked down. James and Fred meandered off to duel each other, and Maxwell and Albus rejoined Aileen.

Maxwell handed her a cookie that he'd commandeered from the Great Hall.

"Thanks, Max," Aileen sighed.

"He had it coming," Albus said. "He'll come around sooner or later."

Aileen shrugged. The three of them sat in a row along one of the tables, watching the dueling matches and snacking on Maxwell's armful of sweets. Erika stood near the door with her friend, and Rose was asking Professor Crowley a series of questions about their homework. Aileen opened her locket and gazed down at it, no longer interested in watching the duels. Samuel and Melody would sometimes wrap their arms around each other, kiss, give her a wave, and mouth _I love you_ to her. She wasn't sure how long she stared at the locket before she noticed that Maxwell was staring at it too.

"Why do you look at that picture all the time?" Maxwell asked.

"Because I miss them," Aileen replied. "I miss my family... the way it used to be..."

"You still have your dad," Maxwell said.

"Aye. But he's..." Aileen muttered. "He's... not the same. Plus, I can't see him very often, now that I'm in school..."

"You still have us, too," Albus chimed in.

Aileen looked up, meeting both of their eyes and snapping the locket closed.

"Aye," she said. "As long as you both promise not to run off with the popular kids, like Scorpius did."

"We should start a club for underdogs," Maxwell proposed. "We could have snacks. And a petting zoo."

"And a bunch of bewitched arcade games," Albus added. "Every time you put sickles in, the machines would turn them into galleons!"

Aileen smiled as Maxwell and Albus traded ridiculous ideas for an underdog's club. A vivid picture appeared in her mind of her family's carnival during the summer; the underdog club would meet up at the carnival for the holidays, and Aileen would use her fire spells to barbecue a feast for all the members...

It didn't matter what happened last year, or that her father was an emotional wreck. Aileen would help him recover, and now, she was sitting beside her two best friends while watching a lineup of duels in her magical school, eating junk food and tossing ideas around of making a new club. She'd made the Quidditch team, and she was still anxious to see her father's response letter. Not to mention, she just whipped Scorpius Malfoy in a duel for the whole school to see. Everything was great. Everything would be okay.

"Maybe we could meet up by the lake," Aileen suggested. "I mean, if we really do make a club... because we're not old enough to go to Hogsmeade yet..."

"No," Maxwell said at once.

Aileen and Albus both eyed him.

"Not... not near the water," Maxwell told them. "Not near the lake..."

"Are you still scared of the water?" Aileen asked. "I thought you got over that ages ago."

"I'm not _scared_ of water... I just don't like sea monsters..." Maxwell murmured.

"Yeah, but if we went out to the lake, you could take Julie with you," Aileen said. "You could keep your pet bear with you the whole time."

Maxwell blinked. He smirked, seeming to like the idea.

Time passed, and the club members began to disperse. After a while, Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus were the only students remaining in the classroom. Everyone else had headed back to their dormitories for the night. The three of them continued to brainstorm about their fictional club, until Aileen heard a hard _thud_ on the other side of the room.

Professor Crowley had collapsed behind his desk.

The trio fell silent for a moment.

"Professor!"

Aileen hopped off of the table and darted over to him.

Professor Crowley was lying on his side next to his chair, his black hairs licking the chair's leg, his eyes closed, and his body motionless. He looked paler than Nearly Headless Nick, but there was no sign of a red rash on him like there had been with the Ravenclaw boy.

"What happened?!" Albus gasped. "Should I go get a teacher? Or-"

"No," Aileen said flatly. "You guys - close the doors and lock them. Don't let anyone in here."

"What?" Maxwell said. "Why?"

"Just trust me, okay? Do it," Aileen requested.

Maxwell and Albus did as she asked. They pulled the doors shut and locked them, sealing the four of them inside.

Aileen rolled up the sleeve of her robe and held her wrist in front of Professor Crowley's face. "Professor? Professor, can you hear me? Come on, you need to take some blood..."

Professor Crowley didn't stir.

Aileen's eyes darted around. She spotted a quill lying on the desk, grabbed it, and stabbed the Sullivan & Associates pen into her arm, wincing as a spot of blood oozed from the tiny wound. Then, she knelt beside Crowley and held her injured wrist in front of his nose.

Maxwell and Albus exchanged befuddled looks.

When Professor Crowley caught a whiff of fresh blood, it was as if a divine force seized control of his body; his two differently-colored eyes shone in a feral, animalistic way as he snapped his hands around Aileen's arm and sank his fangs into her veins. Aileen let out a faint groan, but she didn't pull away from him. She sat still as a board, allowing Crowley to suck the warm crimson liquid from her arm.

"What's he-" Maxwell started forward, but Albus grabbed him and held him in place.

Professor Crowley gnawed harder with every gulp of blood, and the longer it lasted, the more lightheaded Aileen became. Minutes later, Professor Crowley slowed his pace, eventually stopping and removing his teeth from her skin, staring down at her arm, his mouth hanging open, a trickle of blood running down his chin. He gave Aileen a look of utter astonishment, as if he couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

There was a long, tense silence.

"Oh, that... that's it, young lady..." Professor Crowley moaned tiredly. "You're expelled."

Aileen let out a breathless laugh.

Professor Crowley glanced up at the two boys, then quickly looked away.

"Well... the secret's out, then..." he mumbled.

"No, they won't tell anyone," Aileen said, looking up to Maxwell and Albus. "You guys will keep this a secret, right?"

Albus nodded.

"Wait..." Maxwell said. "You... _you're a bloody vampi-"_

"Shhh!" Albus clamped a hand over Maxwell's mouth. "Don't go yelling that out loud!"

"Oh my..." Professor Crowley examined Aileen's arm, where two puncture wounds were letting a twin stream of blood dribble down her wrist. "Aileen..."

"It's okay," Aileen told him. "It doesn't hurt that much. It's okay."

"No, you don't understand, this... this... oh, what have I done..."

Professor Crowley stood and began pacing up and down his classroom with a pep in his step. Aileen was happy to see that he had his energy back.

"It's not a big deal," Aileen said. "I'll just patch it up when I get back to the common room."

"No... no... it's not just a harmless bite... you don't understand... you don't understand... have I taught you _nothing_ in this class?!" Professor Crowley replied frantically. "Oh, this is... this is... I can't believe... I... I have to go. I have to get to St. Mungo's. I have to go..."

"What?" Aileen asked. "I thought you said you had to stay in the castle."

"No, this is more important... I have to go... I have to go..."

"Professor...?"

"Listen, the three of you," Professor Crowley rounded on the trio, jabbing his finger at each of them. "Go back to your dormitories, and do _not_ speak of this to anyone. Aileen - I'll be back as soon as I can, and I'll come straight to you when I can fix this. Do. Not. Tell. A. Soul."

"But-"

"Go to your dormitories _now!"_

Professor Crowley stormed out of the classroom without another word.

The three of them stood in silence for a moment.

"What the ruddy hell's he on about?" Albus wondered. "Aileen... did you know? About him..."

"Yeah," Aileen said. "I found out last year when we went into the forest. That's how he killed the Chimera. He drained its blood. He made me swear not to tell..."

"I dunno what's got him so riled."

"Me either..."

"But..." Maxwell started, giving Aileen a disturbed look. "Vampires work the same way werewolves do. My dad taught me all about them. And..."

"So?" Aileen said. "Werewolves have to transform at the full moon, and vampires have to drink blood. Neither of them have a choice, but that's just the way it works for them..."

"No, I mean... they're not just a species. They're sick," Maxwell explained. "And they spread the sickness when they leave a bite on someone. They turn people. Werewolves turn people into other werewolves, and vampires turn people into other vampires..."

The trio traded grim expressions. All of them stared at the puncture wounds on Aileen's arm.


	6. Thrill of The Ill

"I don't feel any different..."

After an incredibly restless night, when Aileen was tossing and turning in bed and speculating about what would become of her now that she was infected with vampirism, she, Maxwell, and Albus were marching the corridors between classes. The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was subbed by Nearly Headless Nick (who was rather hesitant to take on the task), as Professor Crowley had mysteriously disappeared from the castle.

"I mean... I don't feel sick, or anything..." Aileen muttered. "But... even if I turn... I dunno, I guess I could get by as a vampire. I mean, Professor Crowley does it. I'll just have my dad send me some of those blood snacks from Diagon Alley..."

"He said he was going to St. Mungo's, right?" Albus said. "Maybe there's a way to fix it. Maybe he's going to get you a cure."

"There is no cure," Maxwell informed. "Werewolf and vampire bites don't have a cure..."

"Well, Professor Crowley said he could fix it somehow," Albus replied. "We'll just have to wait and see, I guess..."

"I'm telling you, I don't feel any different," Aileen repeated.

"It takes a long time to fully turn," Maxwell told her. "Days. Sometimes weeks."

A crowd of five sixth year students brushed past them and hurried down the corridor, all of them yelling frightfully as they scurried off. Aileen stared at them.

"I can't believe it! They said he just fell over in the prefect's bathroom!"

"Really?! What happened?!"

"He just collapsed! He's in the hospital wing!"

"Someone else got sick, sounds like..." Albus murmured. "It's not even killer-cold season yet. Why is everyone getting sick?"

Aileen stared after the students. After a moment of thought, she jogged after them. Maxwell and Albus followed her. The three of them turned corners and climbed stairs a fair distance from the frantic sixth years, until finally, the sixth years reached the hospital wing. Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus hunched over just outside of the door, peeking into the hospital wing and eavesdropping on whatever was going on.

"We're gonna be late for class..." Albus whispered.

"We're already skipping class," Aileen replied. "Shh."

"This has got to come to a stop," Mad'am Pomfrey said to Professor Truman, the Transfiguration teacher. "Someone needs to speak to Professor Hayes. Whatever he's doing in Potions, he needs to do a better job of moderating his ingredients. A student must have mixed something improperly. I would think the students would know better than to drink the potions they make in that class..."

"You think this sickness came from Potions?" Professor Truman said, hitting a high note and raising her eyebrows at Mad'am Pomfrey.

"I don't know where _else_ it could have come from," Mad'am Pomfrey replied shrilly.

"You said this sickness resembles Dragon Pox, yes?"

"Yes. I did."

"Well... do the students in Potions regularly experiment with wizarding illnesses?"

"That would be extremely foolish, _and_ against the law."

"Then I'm not sure how this sickness could have come from Potions Class. It must have come from somewhere else..."

Mad'am Pomfrey shook her head and paced in front of the newest patient's bed. To Aileen's dismay, there were more than two patients in the hospital wing; at least half of the beds were occupied with unconscious students.

"It resembles Dragon Pox, but it is _not_ Dragon Pox," Mad'am Pomfrey said. "Marcus Connor contracted Dragon Pox when he was a child. His mother told me so herself. He ought to have an immunity to it, but here he is, sicker than ever. Not to mention, Dragon Pox rarely renders its host unconscious. This sickness... whatever it is... it's faster-acting than Dragon Pox. It sucks the energy out of its host before any symptoms appear, and they collapse from a very sudden exhaustion. It shocks the body. Makes the students collapse."

Aileen almost walked into the hospital wing, hoping to ask Mad'am Pomfrey about the sickness, but Albus yanked her backward.

"Are you mad?" Albus said. "You have a vampire bite on your arm. If Mad'am Pomfrey finds out about that, you could get Professor Crowley in serious trouble. Besides, we're skipping class right now. We'd all get in trouble if they saw us."

"But..." Aileen whispered. "I have to know more..."

"They don't know any more about it than we do," Albus replied. "Have you been listening to them? They're stumped. They have no idea what this sickness is."

"Maybe I could ask her about it," Maxwell said. "I have to see her every month to get my potion, anyway."

Aileen examined him. Maxwell was a Bisect; it was a rare case of werewolf sickness that the child of a werewolf would inherit from their parents. In most cases, the child would either be born with the full condition, or none of it. But Maxwell was a rare exception. He shared some werewolf tendencies, but he wasn't doomed to transform at every full moon like any other werewolf would be. He had only transformed once in his entire life. But mad'am Pomfrey regularly supplied him with a Wolfsbane Potion, which would keep him in a sane state of mind if, by chance, he ended up transforming at the full moon.

Without waiting for her to answer, Maxwell waltzed into the hospital wing.

"What are you doing out of class, Max?" Professor Truman asked.

"Oh, he's just here to collect something from me," Mad'am Pomfrey said. "Just a second, Maxwell. I may have misplaced your potion... been very busy in here... ah, here we go." She rifled through one of her shelves until she located a small brown bottle of Wolfsbane Potion behind the Skele-Grow.

"Thank you," Maxwell said politely, taking the potion from her.

He looked around, pretending to be surprised by the sight of the sickly students. Mad'am Pomfrey gave him a severe look.

"Off to class," she said.

"But... what happened to all of them?" Maxwell asked her. "How did they get sick?"

Aileen and Albus continued to eavesdrop from behind the doorway. Maxwell was a better actor than Aileen expected him to be...

"That's not of your concern," Mad'am Pomfrey said sharply. "Off to class, now."

"But... if the students are getting sick... I'm a student, so..." Maxwell muttered. "I just... my dad is really adamant about me watching my health. I'm not so good at it. I was just wondering... if the students are getting sick... well, what is it that's making them sick? I just want to know so I can take precautions. You don't want any more kids getting sick, do you, Mad'am Pomfrey?"

"Of course not!" Mad'am Pomfrey exclaimed, sounding offended.

"If you could tell me how to avoid getting sick, I could tell my friends. Maybe it would keep more of us from getting sick," Maxwell proposed.

"Oh, Max, you're so thoughtful..." Professor Truman patted him on the head. Truman was the head of Hufflepuff house. She was a kind, bubbly individual, with a bizarre fashion sense rivaled only by Headmaster Arius, and she'd taken a liking to Maxwell over the past year. "That's very considerate of you. Mad'am Pomfrey, how would one go about avoiding this sickness, do you think?"

Mad'am Pomfrey's face went blank. "W-well, naturally, by watching your hygiene, always washing your hands, never eating or drinking after another student... and... well, any precautions that you would take to avoid Dragon Pox, I would say."

"Is it Dragon Pox?" Maxwell inquired.

"Well... it shares a lot of symptoms with Dragon Pox," Mad'am Pomfrey told him. "It may be a new variant of Dragon Pox."

"So... you don't know what it is?"

"Not entirely, no."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Maxwell asked as innocently as possible.

Mad'am Pomfrey glimpsed at the unconscious students, seeming to be in thought.

"Well..." she uttered. "There is... one thing that the students all have in common. But... it's a minor detail. Not likely to have any relation to the sickness."

"What is it?" Maxwell wondered.

Mad'am Pomfrey hesitated. Professor Truman gave her an expectant look, curious to hear her answer. Aileen and Albus strained their ears to hear what Mad'am Pomfrey had to say.

"They all had a sweet tooth," Mad'am Pomfrey said. "These students... they all seemed to enjoy their doughnuts and candies. We've been looking at every little detail that might have given us a lead on where this sickness came from. I highly doubt that it came from any of the foods in the Great Hall, but..."

"Oh no..." Maxwell murmured. "I love doughnuts..."

"Just keep yourself clean and hygienic, and you should be fine, Maxwell," Mad'am Pomfrey told him. "Off you go, now."

Maxwell sauntered off. He rejoined with Aileen and Albus in the hallway, and the three of them went to the top of the stairwell. They waited until they finished their journey down the stairs before they started talking.

"Sweets? She can't be serious..." Albus said. "That's the only lead they have? That the students got sick from the deserts? That's rubbish..."

"I hope so..." Maxwell mumbled sadly. "Doughnuts are my favorite... and muffins... and cookies..."

"Sheesh, you're making me hungry," Albus replied. "Maybe we can swipe something from the Great Hall before lunch."

"Aye, I'm starved," Maxwell agreed. "Aileen, are you hungry?"

"No," Aileen told them. "I'm not hungry. You guys can go without me."

Maxwell and Albus traded glimpses.

"You haven't eaten since lunch yesterday, right?" Albus said to Aileen.

"Yeah. So?" Aileen responded.

"Well... if you're not hungry by now... maybe you're..." Albus started. "Um... well... maybe you're turning..."

"You'll feel fine without food for a couple days, but soon, you're gonna feel thirsty for blood," Maxwell informed. "Once you drink blood... that's the end of the turning process. Drinking blood will complete your turning. It'll make you into a full-fledged vampire."

"Shh!" Aileen hissed, peering around and making sure nobody was within earshot. "I feel fine, alright? Let's stop talking about that."

"Well... what about this sickness, then?" Albus said. "I mean, you don't think Mar'Ilan is behind it again, do you?"

"I dunno. Last year was one thing, but..." Aileen replied. "I mean... I dunno. Last year, she didn't have the teachers watching her like a hawk, and she had her uncle pressuring her to do a lot of that stuff. This year... I think it'd be really stupid of her to cause trouble again. She's smart enough to know better."

"Maybe it's just a bad flu," Maxwell said with a shrug. "People get sick for no reason sometimes, especially in schools. Germs spread around fast in schools."

"Well, if someone is behind it, and if it's not Mar'Ilan... then maybe... Scorpius?" Albus said. "I don't think he'd be behind it, but he has been pretty distant with us lately, and his family is-"

"No," Aileen told him. "He's a prude, but he's not the same as the rest of his family."

Maxwell and Albus fell silent.

Aileen sighed. Last year, she was overly suspicious of Scorpius Malfoy on more than one occasion, and it was mainly due to the reputation of the Malfoy family. She was still angry with him for running off with the popular kids and pretending he didn't know her, but she wouldn't make the mistake of unrightfully blaming him again.

"I think we should go to class," Albus suggested. "They're bound to notice if we don't show up."

"Awww, can't we go by the Great Hall first?" Maxwell replied. "I'm hungry..."

"You two go without me," Aileen said. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

Maxwell and Albus marched off, and Aileen went the other direction.

She emerged in the clocktower courtyard a little while later, seating herself on the stone wall, crossing her legs, rolling up her sleeve, and examining the holes in her arm. About half an hour went by, and she was sure that she'd get in trouble for skipping class, but she didn't care. Her mind was racing now; what was making all the students in Hogwarts fall ill? And what could she expect to feel in the next few days, now that she was infected with vampirism? Would Professor Crowley return in the nick of time to fix the infection? Or would she have to explain to her father that she willingly took a bite from a vampire?

Aileen didn't know if she ought to feel scared or not. She really didn't feel any different from usual, but how long would that last? Professor Crowley seemed capable of living a semi-normal life even though he was a vampire, but Aileen had no way of knowing just how difficult it would be. Would she be forced to drink the blood of animals instead of eating the carnival foods back at home? She wouldn't be able to eat her favorite pizza anymore, and she definitely wouldn't be able to have the garlic sauce...

"Oy," someone said, startling her and making her clamp a hand over her vampire wound.

Aileen looked up to see Callidus Catus marching out of the castle. He was carrying a large case by his side.

"What're you doing out of class?" Aileen asked him.

"I could ask you the same thing," Callidus replied. "I'm taking the balls down to the field. We have practice this evening, and our first game is next week. What are _you_ doing out of class?"

"Um..." Aileen tightened her hand around her wrist. "I just... needed some air."

Callidus squinted curiously at her. "What's wrong with your arm?"

"N-nothing," Aileen lied. "I got bit by a... a Chimera. I got bit by a Chimera."

"Likely story," Callidus scoffed. "Show me."

He marched towards her. Aileen turned away from him.

"If it's something serious, you need to see Mad'am Pomfrey," Callidus said. "You need to be in top shape for the game next week. Leaving a bite unchecked is a foolish thing to do."

"It... it's nothing," Aileen stuttered, her heart pounding nervously as Callidus leaned over her. "I'll get it treated when the next class lets out, all right?"

Callidus gave her a surveying once-over. He stood upright, gave her a nod, and walked off.

Aileen let out a cloud of breath. "That was close..."

"What was close?" Professor Arius's voice came from behind her, making her jump so hard she nearly fell over the stone wall.

Callidus was marching down to the Quidditch field, and Professor Arius had just appeared in the courtyard. Aileen was so focused on hiding her bite mark from Callidus, she hadn't even noticed the headmaster's arrival.

"Skipping class, hiding vampire bites... tsk, tsk. What are we going to do with you?" Arius said, cracking a smile.

Aileen stared up at him anxiously.

Professor Arius straightened his big violet hat, glared down at her, and frowned. "You are in serious trouble, young lady."

Aileen gulped.

Professor Arius laughed. "Ahahaha, oh, I'm just kidding. Mostly. Well, a little bit. That was my Crowley impression. That intimidating stuff works like a charm with him. I'm surprised at myself, how well I can pull that off. I suppose being headmaster comes with certain perks. You can strike the fear of expulsion into the heart of any student. Ha!"

Aileen chuckled nervously.

"Well, come along, then," Arius said, motioning for her to follow. "My office."

Aileen obeyed him and followed him through the corridors, up many stairs, and into the headmaster's office. She sat silently in one of the chairs in front of the desk, watching Zeus the dragon roll around on top of a disconnected laptop.

"Zeus, stop! Bad! Bad dragon!" Professor Arius scolded, yanking the laptop away from his desk. "This is not a dragon bed! Shoo! Go sleep on the pile of student files like I told you to!"

Zeus hung his head and crawled away.

Aileen narrowed her eyes at the laptop.

"Oh, do you like it?" Professor Arius said, turning the laptop around and displaying the bright screen. "I went to New York over the holidays and went shopping. Bought myself a laptop. Oh, I so love to travel. It's an Acer, so I named it Ace. I've taught it a lot of tricks since I brought it home."

Then, Professor Arius released the laptop, and the computer floated with ease beside his head.

"Watch this," Professor Arius said almost giddily. "Ace, go online and search 'cures for vampire bites' for me, will you?"

 **"I am not your butler,"** the computer responded in a comically robotic voice.

Aileen stifled a laugh.

"How... how do you have an internet signal?" she asked. "And... where is the power cord?"

Professor Arius gave her a stunned look. "Aileen... we're in a magical school. Such trivial things need no explanation. It's powered by magic."

He tapped the laptop with his wand in a flashy way, and the laptop jolted, sending sparks flying out of the keyboard.

"Ohhh... opps. Not too much magic, or it fries the hard drive..." Professor Arius said, gently pushing the laptop away. "Honestly, Aileen... it has a battery. It doesn't need to be hooked up by the power cord all the time. And anyway, where would I plug it in? It's not like Hogwarts has any outlets."

Aileen stayed quiet. It was clear that Professor Arius knew about the bite, but she didn't know what he was going to do about it, and she was afraid to find out.

"So," Professor Arius said in a calmer voice, sitting behind his desk and intertwining his fingers. "Just a little while ago... I was visited by a very frightened Professor Crowley. He said he couldn't find you in the class you were supposed to be in, and he said it was urgent that he find you as soon as possible. He's probably still running amok the castle looking for you. Both of us decided to check your usual hangout spots. He'll arrive here any second, once he realizes that you're not skipping class anymore."

Aileen stared down at her lap.

"I've known Trocar for a very long time. I knew exactly what was wrong the moment I met eyes with him," Professor Arius told her. "But... what I don't understand is how it happened. He didn't explain. He ran off to find you in a flash. So... tell me. Tell me how it happened, and tell me why."

Aileen forced herself to meet Arius' gaze. He didn't appear to be angry or disappointed. He simply looked curious, if not a bit concerned.

"He... was hungry," Aileen said. "He was tired and hungry. I was in the classroom after the Dueling Club ended, and he just collapsed... so..."

"He collapsed?" Professor Arius repeated. "Oh dear..."

"Aye. I felt like I needed to..."

"You needed to let him bite you?"

"Well... yeah."

"Aileen, when you let him bite you, did you understand the repercussions? Did you know that it would infect you?"

"I... I dunno. I mean, he might've taught us about that in class, but I don't remember. I wasn't really thinking about it. I just... I did the only thing I could think of."

"I see." Professor Arius coiled his hands together, resting his chin on his knuckles and making a thoughtful face. "Well... that is probably the most selfless _and_ the most foolish thing I've ever heard of."

Aileen didn't reply.

Professor Arius eyed her, though he seemed to be lost to his own thoughts. "I suppose it makes sense... I haven't been giving him enough time to..." He sighed and straightened up. "Well... really, we don't have a protocol for this. We don't often have to worry about students willingly getting bitten by vampires. I don't know how to impress upon you the seriousness of a vampire bite. But the only thing I can think to say is... don't be so careless with such a serious matter. Professor Crowley has been trapped in a very difficult life for a long time. He got his condition in his auror days, and that's why he doesn't hunt dark wizards anymore. He's adapted well to sunlight, but everything else is a rather heavy burden on him. He can't get by with regular foods alone, and he can't let anyone know about his condition. He was a guilt-ridden man even before the vampire incident. With every auror job, he always kicked himself for letting someone get away, or letting someone get hurt... but now, he has an overwhelming sense of guilt weighing on him. He's constantly guilt-ridden because of his hunger for human blood. You do _not_ want to live the way he does. Mark my words."

Aileen still didn't speak. Professor Arius took a breath and continued.

"You cannot afford to be so careless with such severe matters, Aileen. But... with that being said..." He paused. "I wanted to thank you."

Aileen blinked. "Thank me?"

"Yes, I wanted to thank you," Professor Arius said. "There have been very few people in Professor Crowley's life who stuck around after his incident, and even fewer who pay him any extra concern. He's a dear friend of mine... probably the closest friend I've ever had. I wanted to thank you for looking after him when I neglected to. But that _doesn't_ mean that I approve of you offering yourself to him like a sacrificial lamb. No... we just need a better way to look after him. He's been busy with the school, what with the Xyler threat and all. We need a way to get him fed without having him gone from the castle for hours at a time..."

"I'll talk to my dad about it," Aileen told him. "My dad knows how to hunt, and the people at his carnival make lots of foods. Cotton candy, sweets, pizza... I bet he could make blood-flavored cotton candy, or pizza with blood sauce instead of pizza sauce."

"Why... that sounds remarkably creative," Professor Arius said, a twinkle of intrigue in his eye. "I wouldn't mind trying some blood pizza myself. No - scratch that - that's probably not healthy for me. Eh... yes, that sounds like a good idea. Your father could be a tremendous help if he could do that for us. I'd be more than willing to pay him for his services."

Aileen grinned. Her father would definitely like an opportunity to make some extra money, and besides, he'd have to make her the special foods anyway. Soon, she'd be doomed to feast on blood just like Professor Crowley.

"I wonder how it tastes..." she muttered. "I hope I like it."

Professor Arius cocked his head at her. "And why would _you_ be eating the bloody goods, Aileen?"

Aileen gave him a strange look. She rolled up her sleeve and revealed the vampire bite. "Because I'm gonna turn, Professor. I'll have to eat the same way Professor Crowley does."

"No you won't," Professor Arius replied with a laugh.

Aileen stared at him.

"Aileen, your friend, Albus... his grandfather was a founder of a fantastic organization about seventeen years ago, did you know?" Professor Arius said. "What do you think causes vampires to hunger for blood? A magical sickness, right? Well, the muggles call it science. Vampirism is a hunger for iron, and muggles call this condition anemia. Now, vampirism and anemia aren't _exactly_ the same thing, but they are quite similar."

Aileen said nothing, looking more bewildered than ever.

"Why do you think Professor Crowley rushed off to St. Mungos?" Professor Arius asked. "He went to a branch of the hospital called the M.M.M.F."

"The... the what?" Aileen stammered. "The _mmmf?"_

"No, not the _mmmf,_ the M.M.M.F. The Magical-Muggle Medicinal Foundation. Founded by Arthur Weasley," Professor Arius explained. "It's a wonderful organization, and it's long overdue, in my opinion. It's a great step towards progression for wizardkind. It combines wizarding medicinal practices with muggle ones. Do you know how muggles treat anemia? With iron supplements. And how do wizards treat it? Well, we don't have a remedy for vampirism, but we _do_ have a variety of more general healing medicines. Like phoenix tears. And this..."

He took a small purple bottle from his robe and placed it on the desk.

"It's a bit experimental, but it's worked on a few others. Muggle iron supplements, phoenix tears, and just a dab of liquid luck to sway the effects in your favor," Professor Arius said. "It's called Anti-Turn. There is no cure for the full condition of a vampire or a werewolf, sadly, but you... you haven't completely turned yet. This will hopefully reverse the process. It's slow going, but it's worked before, so..."

"Really?" Aileen said hopefully, reaching out to take the potion, but Arius held it out of her reach.

"I will give this to you on two conditions," he said. "One - do not allow Crowley to bite you again. And two - I need you to help me look after him. Preferably without cutting your arm open and waving your blood under his nose. Can you do that?"

Aileen nodded. Professor Arius handed her the purple bottle, and she unscrewed the lid, taking a whiff of the metallic-smelling potion.

"Just take one sip a day until the bottle is empty. Only one sip. That stuff is very concentrated. You don't want to overdose on iron," Professor Arius instructed. "Take a sip... and brace yourself."

Aileen took a small swig of the silvery liquid, cringing at its horribly sharp taste. She was quiet for a moment, licking her lips and trying to swallow the taste out of her mouth. Then, a sudden searing pain exploded on her arm, making her gasp and grab her wrist. The two puncture wounds were pulsating painfully. Each of them had a small mound of white bubbles forming on the top of her skin, and it felt to be burning.

"I didn't say it would be painless," Professor Arius said. "It's reversing a very persistent sickness, after all. It will take time, and you'll have to endure the pain for a while, I'm afraid... but on the bright side, there's Felix Felicis in that potion. Everyone can do with a little good luck in their lives. Professor Crowley paid a hefty price for that potion. Be sure to thank him when he... oh."

As if on cue, Professor Crowley marched into the room with a pep in his step, his breaths heavy, his hands balled into fists, and his eyes shifting between Aileen and Arius.

"Hey, look who finally showed up," Professor Arius grinned. "It's Count Grumpula."

Professor Crowley shot a wicked glare at the headmaster.

Professor Arius laughed. "Relax, Trocar. I've given her the potion. Everything is fine."

Aileen pretended to be captivated by the swirling silver and gray colors of the potion, hoping not to look Crowley in the eyes. She could almost feel his penetrating stare burning a hole in the side of her head.

"Trocar," Professor Arius said. "You will have to talk to her father about this. I'll make an appointment, if you like. Aileen and I have a favor to ask of him, anyway. It would be easier to talk this out face to face rather than sending owls out with letters. This isn't the sort of thing we ought to be writing about, in any case. There's always the possibility of Ministry interception."

"I... yes," Professor Crowley replied with a nod. "Yes, that's... I understand..."

"I'll contact Mr. Connelly and ask if he can bring Samuel here tomorrow," Professor Arius told them. "The two of them can apparate to Hogsmeade and make their way here. I do feel a bit bad for Ross. I expect a lot of people use him as a taxi service, with his rare ability to apparate between countries... but it can't be helped. This is important."

"You... may have to prepare to find another teacher on short notice, Zander," Professor Crowley replied. "I expect any parent wouldn't be too happy to hear about something like this... he'll want me sacked."

"No he won't," Aileen intervened, gazing up at Crowley. "My dad won't get you sacked. He'll understand when I explain it to him."

Professor Crowley stared at her. His mouth hung open for a moment, but he didn't speak.

"Say what you will about Slytherins, but the Slytherin house often produces some of the least judgmental wizards in the world, much like Hufflepuff," Professor Arius said. "Have a little faith, Trocar. These circumstances aren't typical, and they certainly aren't your fault. And after you rushing to mend the vampirism, I feel that Samuel will appreciate you for that."

"Oh, right..." Aileen said. "Thank you, Professor Crowley... for the potion."

"I... no... don't thank me," Professor Crowley replied. "Just... don't be so impulsive anymore, Aileen."

"I won't," Aileen agreed.

"Well then, that was a nice chat," Professor Arius synopsized. "Aileen, go to class, and keep that potion with you at all times. We'll send for you tomorrow when your father arrives."

"Aye."

Aileen hopped up and headed for the door. Professor Crowley placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. She glimpsed up at him.

"Thank you, too," he said.

Aileen smiled, nodded, and left the headmaster's office.


	7. Showtime

The next day stretched on for what felt like weeks.

Aileen took a sip of her magical Anti-Turn with breakfast after explaining the properties of the complex potion to Maxwell and Albus.

"Must be really experimental," Albus commented. "Felix Felicis itself is really hard to make... but combining it with muggle medicine and phoenix tears? That must be hard to do without screwing up. I hate to think how much it cost."

"Yeah, well, it's worth it," Aileen replied, wincing as her bite mark burned. "My first Quidditch game is coming up soon. I'll dodge the vampirism, and I'll have some extra luck when game time comes around. It's a win-win."

"Just be careful," Maxwell mumbled into his fried eggs. He looked sickly; once a month or so, Maxwell would become fatigued and grumpy. It happened every month around the full moon.

Aileen nodded. The three of them traveled the castle together throughout their daily classes, and after a long day of dull note-taking and potion experiments, Aileen headed back to the Slytherin dormitories instead of accompanying her friends to the Great Hall. She passed by a pack of Hufflepuffs gossiping about another student who had fallen ill in Astronomy earlier in the day.

"Where is Miss going now?" Allister the house elf asked excitedly, jumping up and down on her bed, his massive silver eyes wide with happiness. It was unusual for her to return to the dormitories so early in the afternoon. Allister was overjoyed to see her.

"I wanted to go out and practice flying," Aileen told him. "My first game is in just a couple days."

"Miss Aileen hasn't gotten sick? Nor Miss Aileen's friends?" Allister squeaked. "One of the Slytherin boys... the one who tells Allister to hang himself from the chandelier... he fell ill this morning, Miss! Allister had to call for help, Miss, got the teachers to take him away on a stretcher, Miss!"

Aileen froze over her trunk, holding her broomstick and slinging her green cloak over her shoulder. Ziggy slithered up her arm and made himself comfortable atop her shoulders.

"Allister," Aileen said. "Why is everyone getting sick?"

"Allister doesn't know, Miss," the house elf replied, his pointy ears drooping. "It makes Allister sad, it does, Miss. Allister doesn't like to see the students sick, Miss. Allister misses them bullying him, he does! I'd rather them hurt Allister than fall ill!"

"Do you think you could do me a favor, Allister?"

"Of course, Miss!"

"Go to the kitchen and find Ziggy something to eat," Aileen requested. "And, while you're there... see if you can figure out what's making the students sick. Mad'am Pomfrey thinks that it has something to do with the sweets being served at supper time. Maybe someone's doing something to the food."

"The food is prepared by house elves, Miss," Allister told her. "Would house elves be prompted to poison the students, Miss?"

"I don't think so, but... my mum died from a sickness like this," Aileen replied. "If Xyler found a way to poison the students, then... we have to find out."

"Indeed, Miss. Allister will investigate! Just like the old days!" Allister exclaimed. "Allister will find the culprit, Miss! Although, Allister thinks it is unlikely that Xyler would be behind the sicknesses, Miss."

"Really? You don't think it was Xyler? Why?"

"Well, no wizards know how to biologically manipulate a wizard illness, Miss. Wizardkind do not explore the science of biological warfare, Miss. Neither Grindlewald nor Lord Voldemort knew how to use magical sicknesses as weapons, Miss, nor did any of their followers. This sickness is something new, Miss. Something that no one in the wizarding world has ever seen before."

"Well... then someone must have invented it, right? It couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere."

"Indeed, Miss, but no one has ever been so capable of manufacturing magical sicknesses before. There is only one wizard in the world who would possibly be capable of such a thing, Miss, but he hasn't been heard from in decades."

"Who?"

"A wizard called the Black Alchemist, Miss," Allister explained. "He's shrouded in mystery, Miss. Very little is known about him. Very little."

"Allister," Aileen said seriously. "Who is the Black Alchemist? Do you think he made this sickness? Maybe he's working for Xyler. Maybe it was him..."

"Unlikely, Miss," Allister replied, shaking his head. "The Black Alchemist was an avid supporter of Grindlewald, Miss. It was very long ago, Miss, very long ago. It's unlikely that he's still alive today."

"How do you know all this?"

"Allister is a Hogwarts employee, Miss! Allister gathers much knowledge from Hogwarts! It's the best wizarding school in the world, it is!"

"I see..."

Aileen looked down. She'd never heard of anyone called the Black Alchemist before, but according to Allister, this mysterious Grindlewald supporter was capable of manufacturing magical diseases. There couldn't be a connection between the Black Alchemist and this new illness, could there?

"No," she mumbled. "If he lived that long ago... it can't be him..."

"Miss, it is possible that someone else uncovered the secrets of the Black Alchemist," Allister added. "If one person can learn to create magical sicknesses, then it's possible for another wizard to discover how. Perhaps a new wizard has learned what the Black Alchemist learned all those years ago, Miss."

"Yeah, that has to be it," Aileen figured.

In the following moments, she felt a wave of de-ja-vu sweep over her, reminding her of how she felt last year, when she was overly suspicious of Erika and contemplating exactly how she could be involved with the treachery. Erika might've been only a first year, but she was a prodigy, skilled at numerous things, and possibly even capable of engineering magical illnesses...

It couldn't be her, could it? Last year, Erkia was guilty of smuggling her animagus uncle into the school, hoping to steal the Founder's Fortunes from Hogwarts under the command of Xyler. Still, Erika's job last year was a simple one; she was Xyler's eyes and ears inside of Hogwarts, and it was her job to locate and obtain a few magical objects. That didn't compare to what was happening now; it would take a considerably evil person to poison the students of Hogwarts, and Erika would have to possess the astounding ability of brewing illnesses, too. Was Erika evil enough to poison the students? Was she skilled enough to create a new disease? The more Aileen thought about it, the more she felt it was too far-fetched.

"There's only one way to know for sure," Aileen mumbled, entertaining a mad idea that had popped into her head. "Allister... I need your help again."

"Of course, Miss, anything for you!" Allister replied enthusiastically.

"I need you to sneak something out of the potion's class," Aileen instructed, her voice lowering. "They have lots of potions in the cabinets."

Allister's smile faded, his eyes widening and his ears dropping.

"I know... I know you don't want to do anything that might get you in trouble," Aileen said. "But it's important. I really need to know if Erika is behind this or not. I can't follow a cold trail if I'm gonna find out who's behind this."

"Wh-what do you need, Miss...?"

"I need you to find a truth potion. They have truth potions, don't they?"

"Y-yes, Miss. It's called Veritaserum."

"Good. Find that and bring it back to me... and don't tell anyone."

"As you wish, Miss," Allister agreed hesitantly.

Aileen patted him on the head and rushed off, anxious to fly her broom, but as soon as she left the dungeons, she was intercepted by three adults in the hall, all of them standing in her path. They appeared to have been on their way to the Slytherin common room, but once Aileen arrived, they all stopped.

Headmaster Arius, Professor Crowley, and Samuel O'Heidin stood over her, looking expectant.

Aileen sighed. She knew why her father was here, and she knew what was about to happen, but she'd really wanted to fly her broom...

"Quidditch?" Samuel said, smirking. "Good on you, hothead. Knew you could make the team."

Aileen smiled.

Professor Arius waved for her to follow, and Aileen joined them as they made their way back to the headmaster's office. The blue dragon and the floating laptop were nothing special to Crowley or Aileen, but Samuel looked to be fascinated by them.

A small silence lingered after the doors were shut. Professor Crowley sank into one of Arius' chairs, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Professor Arius seated himself behind his desk, while the O'Heidins took the chairs facing it.

Samuel grinned at Aileen, still rather pleased at the sight of her with a broom in her hand. Aileen hoped his good mood would last, considering what they were about to talk about...

"I'm sure you're wondering why we've called you here, Mr. O'Heidin," Professor Arius started. "I apologize for the suddenness, but... it's an important matter. It involves your daughter."

"Aye," Samuel replied, waiting for an explanation.

"Trocar," Professor Arius said. "Tell him."

Professor Crowley appeared completely distraught, and Aileen suddenly had a mental image of him sinking entirely into the cushions of his chair never to be seen again.

"Your daughter..." Professor Crowley began with some difficulty. "Is... one of my best students. And one of the kindest."

"Kindest? You sure you're not talking about some other kid?" Samuel laughed, smacking Aileen on the arm playfully. Aileen giggled and punched him in the knee.

"Yes, well... she... I've been busy securing the school against Xyler, so... I haven't had the time to tend to my condition..." Crowley explained. "Your daughter saw me when I..."

"What condition?" Samuel asked, looking suddenly serious.

"V... vampirism," Professor Crowley forced himself to say.

There was a pause.

"Professor Crowley is the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Professor Arius said. "We keep his condition a secret for obvious reasons... but I do hope you'll keep an open mind about it, Mr. O'Heidin."

"I... I collapsed," Professor Crowley informed. "Your daughter... she knew about my condition, so she... cut herself... and..."

"No," Samuel breathed, turning to Aileen.

"She was very brave. And impulsive. Downright careless, really," Arius said. "Your daughter gave him blood when he was starving for it."

Aileen flushed, feeling somewhat bashful at the sense of pride Professor Arius seemed to have for her, but she felt more guilty than pleased. She couldn't help but feel bad for Professor Crowley, who looked more downtrodden than anyone Aileen had ever seen.

"You did that?" Samuel gasped at his daughter.

Aileen slowly nodded.

"Professor Crowley was sure to get her a bottle of Anti-Turn," Professor Arius said. "She's taking it now. She won't turn into a vampire. But... we felt the need to tell you. You have the right to know everything that involves your daughter."

Samuel was ogling Aileen as if a third arm had sprouted from her forehead.

"I can't believe you'd do that," he said. "That's just..."

"I'm sorry," Aileen told him. "I didn't know what else to do."

Samuel was silent for several minutes. Professor Arius waited calmly and patiently for him to speak, but Aileen and Professor Crowley were both nervously anticipating a furious reaction to explode out of him at any second.

Instead, however, Samuel reached his feet and simply stared at Professor Crowley, looking intrigued.

"I'm surprised you didn't kill her," Samuel said. "Most vampires can't stop drinking until their prey is sucked dry. Animal instinct takes over."

"Well... I'm not an animal," Professor Crowley replied. "I'd never kill a student. No silly instinct could make me do such a thing."

"Don't be mad," Aileen pleaded, tugging on Samuel's overcoat. "He didn't have any control over it. It's my fault."

"I know that," Samuel replied. "I'm more concerned about how this problem is gonna be fixed."

"It's okay, Dad. They gave me a potion-"

"Not that. This problem might persist if he doesn't have a way to eat on a regular basis," Samuel said, eyeing Crowley. "Might become a bit difficult to keep it secret if you're fiending for blood, sir. No offense."

"Your daughter had an idea for that, actually," Professor Arius told him. "She said you could make him carnival foods infused with the blood of animals... if you liked. I would pay you, of course. We could arrange a monthly delivery."

"Interesting," Samuel replied. "Sounds like a promising side job."

"I'll ask you to keep this a secret, please," the headmaster said.

"Of course."

"I'm sorry," Professor Crowley told Samuel. "Really, I..."

"As long as it doesn't happen again, you're forgiven," Samuel said. "I can't blame you for something you can't fully control."

Professor Crowley looked like he might withdraw into his cloak and vanish from sight.

"When is your first Quidditch game?" Samuel asked his daughter.

"Um... it's the day after tomorrow, I think," Aileen answered.

"Good. I'll stay in Hogsmeade for a day or two. Wouldn't want to miss your game," Samuel said with a grin.

"Well, that went better than expected," Professor Arius said. "Aileen... you're free to go and practice your flying now, if you like. I'd like to talk to your father alone for a moment."

"Okay," Aileen replied, standing and giving her father a hug before she headed for the door. After she left, a sense of seriousness filled the air in the headmaster's office.

"You want to talk to me alone?" Samuel asked.

"Yes," Professor Arius replied. "I'd like to talk to you about Xyler."

As their conversation began, Aileen stepped out of the office and shut the door behind her. She stopped abruptly, nearly running into another person in the hall, and she stifled a gasp when she realized who it was.

"Getting into trouble again this year, are you?" Harry Potter said.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Aileen wondered.

"The headmaster sent for me," Harry replied. "He seems to think that Professor Crowley might need a hand defending the school occasionally. I'll be here to help him every once in a while."

"I thought you were investigating Xyler," Aileen said. "It's in the newspaper. You and Max's dad are looking for Xyler, right?"

"That's right," Harry told her. "And last year, he showed up in the school. There's a chance he may do it again."

Aileen nodded.

Harry patted her on the head. "Good to see you again, Aileen."

Aileen grabbed him by the arm when he tried to walk into the headmaster's office. He gave her a questioning look.

"People... people have been getting sick," she whispered. "They say it's something like Dragon Pox, but... worse. When I saw Xyler last year, he told me that my mother was dead, and he made it sound like he had something to do with it. My dad told me that Mum died from Dragon Pox, and... I just keep thinking... maybe there's a connection."

"Students are getting sick in Hogwarts by a disease similar to Dragon Pox," Harry repeated. "Well... if Xyler was involved with your mother's death, it would make sense that he's behind this. How many students have gotten sick?"

"I... dunno. The hospital wing is full of sick kids, and I keep hearing about more and more of them getting sick every day."

Harry made a thoughtful face. "I'll have to talk to Ross about this."

"I can't believe they let Erika come back to school... after what she did last year..." Aileen murmured. "I swear, if Xyler's getting everyone sick, Erika has to be the one doing it. That's the only thing that makes sense."

"You'll have to find out about that," Harry said. "We can't interrogate students. Especially not a twelve-year-old."

"Me?" Aileen asked. "You want me to..."

"I think you have a better chance of investigating her than we do," Harry told her, a mischevious twinkle in his emerald eyes. "As a student... you can get up close and personal. You might have to break a few rules, but you can do anything if you try hard enough. You did it last year."

Aileen blinked. "Are you telling me to break the rules...?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I'm telling you that breaking the rules is the only way to get things done sometimes."

He winked at her, pushed the doors open, and marched into the headmaster's office.

Aileen stared at the door for a moment, then darted off to practice her flying, hoping that Allister would get the Veritaserum sometime soon so she could put this whole matter to rest.

* * *

The night before the first Quidditch game, Aileen hardly slept.

Scorpius and Aileen were passing each other in the common room on a regular basis, always shooting nasty looks at each other. Aileen always felt her stomach churn whenever she'd see him; he was always surrounded by Slytherin fanboys, and whenever he would give her a dirty look, all his followers did the same, and when she'd look away, the Slytherins would laugh and trade gossip about her. It was becoming increasingly irritating to have all the Slytherins hate her for no reason, but nevertheless, she vowed to do her best in the game, and she'd win the game for Slytherin just to show Malfoy how it was done.

"You'll do fine," Albus said when they made their way to the Quidditch field. "Stop being nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Aileen lied.

Aileen separated from Maxwell, Albus, and Rose when they reached the field. Her friends went up to the stands, and Aileen joined the other Slytherin Quidditch players. This was very different from practice; the entire school was here, sitting in the stands and observing them from above. The announcer was bellowing to the crowd, explaining that Slytherin would be facing off with Gryffindor today, and Callidus was giving his teammates a pep talk. Eric Volin was doing the same on the opposite side of the field.

Harry, Ross, and Samuel were sitting together in the stands and trading conversation. Both of Harry's sons were sitting in the same row with Rose and Maxwell, and all of them were anxiously waiting for the game to start. Aileen felt incredibly unnerved knowing that they were all watching. She stood with her teammates, one hand clamped around her broom, the other hardened around her locket.

"No showboating, understand?" Callidus was saying. "Remember; this is only a game. No need to be worried."

Aileen gulped, feeling as though Callidus was talking directly to her.

Both teams mounted their brooms, and the balls were released into the air, all but the quaffle.

"Try not to light anything on fire, loser," Scorpius snarled at Aileen.

"I hope you fall off your broom, Malfoy," Aileen snapped in response.

Mad'am Hooch was overexplaining the rules to all the new players. She had the quaffle in one hand, and when she was done talking, she threw the ball into the air. Instantly, flashes of red and green streaked in all directions, and a Gryffindor player seized the quaffle.

At once, Aileen's heart skipped a beat; she'd forgotten something very important.

Being the only player still on the ground, she took the bottle of Anti-Turn from her cloak, ingested a sip of it, and put it away again, wincing as her vampire wound burned. She ignored the pain and shot into the air.

It was chaos. The crowd cheered and booed, the beaters traded bludgers aimed at opposite team players, and Aileen could barely keep up with the quaffle. It was thrown, blocked, and reclaimed so many times, she found herself flying aimlessly in circles trying to keep up with it.

Gryffindor scored three times, and Slytherin scored twice.

Feeling utterly useless, Aileen stopped midair and decided to stay put until she saw an opening for the quaffle.

Scorpius, who was racing around the other seeker, swooped over Aileen and smacked her on the head. Aileen let out a shrieking curse word as he flew away.

Two Gryffindors, noticing that Aileen was stationary, decided to target her. Both of them were beaters; one of them whacked a bludger directly at her, and Aileen narrowly dodged it by shooting forward. The second beater whizzed around her, swung his bat, and launched the bludger back toward her; it smashed into her thigh, knocking her sideways and prompting her to fly away at top speed.

Aileen felt her eyes begin to water. Her leg throbbed with pain, and her arm was still burning. Not to mention, she wasn't doing anything useful for the team at all, and everyone was watching, including her father and all of her friends...

"Screw this," she growled, firing after the Gryffindor with the quaffle. It was Eric Volin, and Callidus was chasing him as well, pursuing him from the opposite side as Aileen.

Callidus sped to keep up with Eric, and Aileen met eyes with him from the other side. Callidus made a motion, gesturing to Eric, and Aileen understood; both of them slammed into each of Eric's sides, sandwiching him, and Aileen punched the quaffle out from under his arm. Callidus swooped down, caught the quaffle, and soared over to the Gryffindor goal posts. One of the Slytherin beaters managed to knock the Gryffindor keeper away from the goal just in time, and Callidus scored.

"Yes!" Aileen rejoiced.

The sound of the Slytherin stands erupting with applause lifted her spirit. As the opposing team prepared to release the quaffle again for another round, Aileen caught sight of Scorpius floating nearby, slumping over his broom and looking like he was staring at the ground. She grinned, flying over to him and smacking him on the back of the head.

"Payback!" Aileen laughed, but her smile vanished immediately when Scorpius fell forward, sliding off his broom and hurtling toward the ground.

The applause quickly turned into gasps and screams of horror.

Scorpius fell like a sack of bricks, his limbs flying limply in the wind, his broom falling behind him.

Harry, Ross, Samuel, and all of the children shot up from their seats, as did everyone else. Draco, who was watching the game with his wife, looked shocked and frightened beyond measure.

Time seemed to slow, nearly to a complete stop.

At once, Aileen found herself shooting toward the ground like a missile, outstretching her hand and flying toward the falling Malfoy like a speeding bullet. Her mind exploded with panic; Scorpius would splatter on the ground. His bones would snap. He would die, right here, during his very first Quidditch match...

The wind sliced her eyes as she pummeled downward, dreading that she wouldn't reach him in time and growing more and more terrified as the view of the grassy field came closer and closer, but she flew faster than he fell; Aileen grabbed at his flapping cloak several times, and finally, she managed to coil her fingers around Scorpius's hood.

Aileen began to resist her own momentum, pulling the broom upward and clutching Scorpius's cloak with all her might, trying desperately to bring herself to a stop before they hit the ground. She barely managed it; Scorpius fell on the grass, but gently, as if he'd simply fallen down a couple of stairs. Aileen stumbled and flipped over her broom, landing sprawled over the grass a few feet from Scorpius. She sprung to her feet and ran over to him, gasping at the paleness of his face and the faint red rash that appeared to be crawling up his neck.


	8. Truth Hurts

It was surreal.

Scorpius Malfoy, lying unconscious in the hospital wing - along with numerous other sick students - was no longer surrounded by avid fanboys. Instead, he was surrounded by old friends and concerned adults. Draco hovered over his son, looking both worried and furious, while the headmaster, Mad'am Pomfrey, Harry, Samuel, Ross, and Crowley observed in silence. Maxwell and Albus were trading whispers, and Rose was trying not to cry. Aileen was standing nearby, watching it all and feeling like she was living a dream.

"He fell unconscious in the middle of flying," Professor Arius murmured to Mad'am Pomfrey. "This is getting serious. He could have gotten seriously hurt."

"I'm doing everything I can!" Mad'am Pomfrey quipped in response.

"I want to know who's responsible," Draco fumed in a dark, shaking voice, still glaring into his unconscious son.

"So do we," Mad'am Pomfrey said.

"I see nothing's changed in this dump," Draco spat. "You people are _still_ doing a lousy job of taking care of your bloody students."

"That's enough, Draco," Harry said flatly.

Draco gave Harry a severe look. "Why don't _you_ do something then, oh chosen one? What's the matter? Has the famous Harry Potter lost his touch?"

"Draco," his wife, Astoria, said gently. "Stop. Please."

Draco simmered down, returning his attention to Scorpius.

"We will resolve this," Professor Arius said.

Draco scoffed.

"Oy," Samuel said, patting Aileen on the arm. "You did well, hothead. You did well with the game _and_ with saving the kid's life."

"Yes, you really did," Professor Crowley agreed.

Aileen didn't reply. She didn't want to hear praise; she wanted this sickness to be nipped in the bud.

Astoria left her son's side, knelt in front of Aileen, placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a look of utmost sincerity.

"Thank you," Astoria said, sounding like she was holding back tears.

Aileen simply nodded, not knowing what to say.

"We might not have a choice," Ross said. "We might have to pull Erika aside and give her a talking to."

"The Ministry instructed us not to," Harry replied. "I'm not one to argue with Hermione, either."

"Well, we've got to do something," Ross told him, looking from Scorpius to the other sickly students. "This has got to stop."

Harry glimpsed at Aileen.

Aileen sighed. She waved at Maxwell, Albus, and Rose, motioning for them to follow her. The four of them walked out of the hospital wing and marched through the corridors.

"Can't believe..." Rose muttered. "I can't believe he almost... he could have..."

"He'll be fine," Aileen said. "We've got something more important to deal with."

Aileen led them to the Slytherin common room. They seated themselves on the couches, and the others stared at Aileen, wondering why she brought them there. After about ten minutes, Allister toppled out of one of the dormitories, wearing a lampshade over his head and struggling to remove it. His wrists were tied together by a thin rope.

Aileen took the lampshade from his head and gently untied the ropes on his arms. Maxwell and Albus looked baffled, but Rose was positively mortified.

"Who did that to him?!" Rose gasped.

"The Slytherins," Aileen told her. "They like to pick on him."

"Miss Aileen!" Allister exclaimed joyfully. "Allister is so happy! So _so_ happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Allister," Aileen replied. "Do you have something for me?"

"What? Oh... yes, Miss, Allister has it!" Allister said, reaching into his pillowcase garment and pulling out a tiny glass bottle. "Allister was very careful not to let the students break it, he was! And the students were kind enough to torment Allister! Allister didn't even have to punish himself!"

"That's so wrong!" Rose proclaimed.

Aileen said nothing. Usually, she'd become furious whenever the other Slytherins would bully Allister, but right now, all she could think about was the mystery illness sweeping through Hogwarts. She was mad at Scorpius, but she still considered him a friend, and she didn't want to lose anyone else to the unknown disease that had killed her mother. It had to stop; Aileen had to know the truth, to know what Erika had to do with the sickness, to know how it was spreading so she'd have a chance at stopping it.

Not to mention, she had a sneaking suspicion that Harry Potter was relying on her to gather that information. The Ministry had instructed the aurors to leave Erika alone... but Aileen wasn't affected by that order. She was the only person who could interrogate Erika. It had to be done.

"Guys," Aileen said. "I have a plan, and I need your help. All of you."

"What's the plan?" Maxwell asked.

Aileen took in a deep breath. "Allister brought me Veritaserum. It's a truth potion. I have to sneak it into Erika's drink tonight at supper. Here's the plan; Allister is gonna put the concealment charm on me. That way, I can slip in and pour the potion into her juice without anyone noticing. Then, I'm gonna leave the Great Hall and go into the hallway. I need you guys to wait for me around the first corner. I'll undo the concealment charm, and we'll wait for Erika to leave the Great Hall. When she walks around the corner, we're gonna stop her. There's five of us, so we should be able to surround her. That's when I'll start asking her questions. I'm gonna find out if she's behind this sickness spreading."

"Are you mad?!" Rose exclaimed. "You can't use that potion without a permit, and using it on a student is breaking all _kinds_ of rules!"

"I don't care about the damn rules!" Aileen yelled. "People are sick! They might die just like my mother!"

The room filled with tense silence.

"Let's do it," Maxwell said. "People are going to the Great Hall now. Let's go."

Aileen traded glances with the others, waiting for more protests, but nobody objected. When Aileen went for the exit, the others followed her, Allister pitter-pattering along by her side. Aileen was able to hide the teeny bottle in her fist. In the hall, Maxwell, Albus, and Rose all hid behind the corner, just around from the Great Hall's entrance. Allister performed the concealment charm on Aileen, effectively hiding her from everyone's direct perception, and then, she set off.

A crowd of Ravenclaws pushed past her, none of them noticing her. All of them were swapping frantic gossip about Scorpius Malfoy.

Aileen stood still in the Great Hall for a moment, taking out her Guidance Compass and waiting for the needle to stop moving. Only half of the teachers had arrived to dinner, and most of the students hadn't arrived yet either, but the needle landed pointing at the table far right, the Slytherin table. Erika was sitting by herself on the end, as usual. Erika would always arrive early and leave early in order to avoid the large crowd.

Aileen tip-toed toward her, removing the cork from the bottle of Veritaserum.

Erika was reading a large textbook and snacking on muffins.

Her heart pounding and her breath slowing to a stop, Aileen very cautiously leaned over Erika's shoulder and poured the entire bottle of Veritaserum into the goblet of pumpkin juice. She winced when it made an audible splooshing noise, but Erika didn't seem to hear it.

Erika reached for her goblet, and Aileen took several steps backward. When Erika took a swig from her drink, Aileen smirked.

Satisfied, Aileen spun around and sprinted into the hall again, pulling out her wand and waving it over herself. _"Evanesce."_

Maxwell, Albus, Rose, and Allister gave her an expectant look when she returned to the hall around the corner. Aileen wore a victorious smile.

"Did it," she said. "Now... we just have to wait for her."

"This is such a bad idea," Rose told her. "We could get into _so_ much trouble..."

"Who cares," Maxwell laughed.

"We have to do this," Albus said to his cousin. "Our parents did stuff like this all the time so they could beat Voldemort. What's wrong with us breaking the rules if it helps us beat Xyler? It's the same thing our parents did."

"I suppose," Rose said doubtfully. "It just doesn't feel right to-"

She fell silent when Erika walked around the corner. In one swift motion, Aileen snatched the wand from Erika's flashy sheathe, grabbing her by the collar and pressing her against the wall. The others took their positions, forming a circle around Erika to prevent her escape.

"What's wrong with you?!" Erika screamed.

Aileen opened her mouth to begin her barrage of questions, but she didn't speak. Out of the corner of her eye, Aileen spotted a swarm of Hogwarts students approaching from further down the hall. She couldn't question Erika in front of everyone... not without making a scene... she needed more privacy...

Then, something miraculous happened.

The wall behind Erika opened up in a wide, dark void. It took the shape of a narrow doorway, and it appeared to lead into an endless cave of darkness. Erika stumbled backward, and Aileen - hardly knowing what she was doing anymore - shoved her inside and jumped into the void with her.

"What?!" Albus gasped.

"It's the Room of Requirement!" Rose shrieked.

Once Erika and Aileen were both inside, the dark doorway disappeared, and the wall went back to normal. It looked as though Hogwarts had eaten both of the students without leaving a trace.

"Why did that happen?" Maxwell asked.

"I guess..." Rose said. "Hogwarts wants them to talk alone."

* * *

Aileen stood in the pitch black, unable to see Erika, but she kept her hand clasped tightly around her robes so not to lose track of her. She had no clue where she was now, but she was grateful for the privacy. Still, it would've been much easier to interrogate Erika if she had a bit of light...

Just then, three lanterns appeared on the walls, illuminating the dingy room with a faint yellow glow. Aileen and Erika were standing in a tiny square room, the enclosed space smelling of mildew and barely big enough for the two of them.

"What the hell is going on?" Erika demanded.

"I need to ask you a few questions," Aileen replied. "First of all... what do you know about the sickness that's spreading around Hogwarts?"

Erika was about to make her usual condescending remarks, but then, her mouth opened and she answered without meaning to.

"I don't know anything about it," Erika said truthfully.

Aileen stared at her. "Does Xyler know how to engineer biological weapons? Does he know anyone who can?"

"I don't know!" Erika hollered against her will. "I have no idea! I don't know anything about the disease! I swear!"

Aileen's mouth fell open. This couldn't be right. She expected Erika to confess to everything, to claim to have poisoned the students and to give her all the information she needed. Erika drank the truth potion. Aileen witnessed it herself. She couldn't have been lying...

How was it possible that Erika knew absolutely nothing about Xyler's invented disease? If Erika wasn't responsible for spreading the sickness, then who was? Who else could it have possibly been?

"Where is your uncle right now?" Aileen inquired. "Where is Valefor?"

"I haven't seen him since last year!" Erika replied. "He disappeared!"

Aileen fumbled in silence, trying to think of more questions. This was her only chance to learn everything that Erika knew about Xyler and his followers. She had to use this opportunity.

"Does Xyler have another mole in Hogwarts?" Aileen asked.

"No!" Erika said.

"Have you seen Xyler since last year?"

"No! I haven't!"

"Did Valefor ever put you under the Imperius Curse?"

"I don't know! I really don't know!"

"Why were you working for Xyler?"

 _"Because I want my brother back!"_

Then, something happened that Aileen didn't expect.

Erika exploded into tears.

Aileen gaped at her. This was Erika, the cold, antisocial, serious outcast of Hogwarts. Aileen didn't think she was capable of crying, much less devolving into mad sobs like she was now.

"My parents don't care!" Erika cried. "They hate me! They treat me like they never wanted me! My brother... and my uncle... they were the only ones who loved me! My brother protected me... taught me everything... and... and... Xyler told me he could bring my brother back! _Xyler can give me my brother back!"_

Aileen gulped. Samuel taught Aileen plenty of rules regarding magic before she ever attended Hogwarts, and one of them was ingrained into her head; she knew full well that no magic in the world could raise a person from the dead. It wasn't possible to bring back Erika's brother, just like it wasn't possible to resurrect Aileen's mother.

"I hate this! I hate my family... I hate this school... I hate everyone looking at me like I'm a monster!" Erika groveled. "The only people who ever loved me are gone! I hate... I hate... I hate being alone! I hate... I hate..."

Erika fell to her knees and began crying beyond her control.

Aileen was speechless. All the anger she felt toward Erika was put on hold. This wasn't right; she came here to find Xyler's secrets and put a stop to the disease. But Aileen learned absolutely nothing about the mystery illness; instead, she was learning all about Erika.

"I'm sorry..." Aileen murmured.

"I miss him..." Erika choked. "I miss him... I... I miss him... I never... I never thought he'd just... disappear... from my life... and one day, he was... he was just... gone... gone forever..."

"I..." Aileen uttered, feeling a tinge of painful empathy. "I know how you feel..."

Suddenly, Aileen didn't want to do this anymore. She wasn't going to get any information about the sickness, and she was beginning to feel guilty for putting Erika through this.

When Aileen found herself wishing that she was back in the common room, the Room of Requirement fulfilled her wish. The wall behind Erika opened up, revealing a gateway to the Slytherin common room. Aileen gently pulled the crying Erika to her feet and guided her out of the smelly room, leading her over to one of the couches in front of the fireplace. The wall closed up, sealing away the Room of Requirement.

Erika laid on the couch and sobbed into one of the decorative green pillows.

"Sorry," Aileen said, turning and marching out of the common room.

As she ventured the halls and tried to make her way back to her friends, her mind was racing. She'd have to explain to her friends that Erika was innocent, and she'd have to do it without divulging too much information. Sure, she could tell everyone what Erika had said about her brother... but she wouldn't. And it wasn't because she liked Erika. It wasn't because she respected her privacy, and it wasn't because she really cared about Erika at all.

It was because she understood the pain of loss, what it was like to feel a sudden void in your life when you lose someone, when you feel suddenly stranded and alone because someone you love disappeared from the world forever.

* * *

"Let me get this straight..."

Rose was talking as she skimmed through her copy of _Cryptic Tales of The Crypt,_ sitting under one of the trees alongside the river while Maxwell and Albus took turns skipping rocks over the water. Aileen was standing nearby and practicing a basic fire spell, and Julie, Maxwell's pet bear, was galloping around in circles chasing butterflies.

"Erika doesn't know _anything_?" Rose said. "Nothing about the sickness? Or her uncle? Or Xyler?"

"Apparently not," Aileen replied, making the tiny flame at the end of her wand expand and retract. "I watched her drink the Veritaserum... and I know it worked. She started spilling all her secrets, and she couldn't stop."

"How much Veritaserum did you put in her drink?" Rose asked.

"Um... the whole bottle."

 _"The whole bottle?_ Aileen, you're only supposed to use a couple of drops!"

"Well, I didn't know that."

Aileen went quiet. In the days after Erika's confessions, Aileen had been getting praise from students she'd never spoken to before. Everyone was congratulating her for saving Scorpius Malfoy. Erika made herself scarce, and Samuel was sure to tell her over and over again how proud he was of her before he left for Ireland. It was driving her mad; Aileen had been angry that Scorpius was getting praise for making the Quidditch team while she was being ignored and even picked on for it, but now that she had obtained her own popularity, it annoyed her. Every time a Hogwarts student would run up to her and tell her how cool she was for saving Scorpius, Aileen was reminded of why Scorpius fell from his broom in the first place; because of the sickness that was spreading, the sickness that had killed her mother, the sickness that she had failed to find the source of.

Sighing, she pulled the bottle of Anti-Turn from her cloak and drank the last of it. The bite mark on her arm no longer burned when she took the potion. It seemed to have worked.

"Scorpius is awake in the hospital wing now," Albus said. "I visited him yesterday. We can all go visit him today, if you guys want to."

"No thanks," Aileen grumped. "You guys can go. I'm not going."

"Why not?" Maxwell wondered.

"Because he's a twat," Aileen replied. "I don't want to talk to him."

"Aileen, you saved his life," Albus told her. "If you guys can't make up now, you're never gonna be friends again. Plus... he feels really bad."

"He does?"

"Yeah. I talked to him yesterday. He said he felt bad about ignoring us. He told me he was sorry."

Aileen stopped playing with her wand and stared down at the grass. She didn't want to forgive Scorpius so easily, but she did miss him, and the group didn't really feel complete without him around...

"Fine," she said. "We'll go visit him."

Julie the bear tugged at Aileen's cloak with her teeth. Aileen laughed and gave her a pat on the head. Just then, Maxwell wrapped his arms around Julie and began wrestling with her in the grass. Julie was almost Maxwell's size now, and watching them play together looked downright comical.

When they were done, Maxwell escorted Julie back to Hagrid's hut, and the four students made their way to the hospital wing. All of the beds, as well as a few of the benches, were filled with sick students, and about half of them were accompanied by worried parents. Draco had taken more time off of work to visit his son. He was sitting beside Scorpius' bed, and the two of them were talking about Quidditch tactics.

Scorpius was sitting upright, still pale and sickly, but the rash was fading. He stopped talking when Aileen, Maxwell, Albus, and Rose arrived.

"You look a bit peaky," Aileen told Scorpius. "I think it's an improvement."

Scorpius didn't reply.

"Need to use the lavatory," Draco said, reaching his feet. "I'll be back in a few."

When Draco left the hospital wing, the others sat around Scorpius's bed.

Aileen wasn't sure what to say, and Scorpius appeared to be at an equal loss for words.

"So," Rose began. "Are you getting better? What did Mad'am Pomfrey say?"

"Er... she said I'm recovering," Scorpius replied. "Some people recover faster than others. She said I'm one of the luckier ones."

"That's good," Rose said in a distinctly kind, supportive voice, trying her best to lighten the tension. "Maybe this sickness isn't as bad as we thought."

There was a pause.

"Did you eat any sweets?" Maxwell asked. "Mad'am Pomfrey told me once that all the people getting sick have a sweet tooth. Maybe it's something in the doughnuts that's making people sick."

Scorpius blinked. "That's weird."

"We haven't been eating the desserts, just to be safe," Albus informed. "You should steer clear of them too."

Another pause.

Aileen and Scorpius stared at each other for a moment without speaking.

"So... I got Erika to drink a truth potion," Aileen told him. "I snuck it into her pumpkin juice."

Scorpius chuckled.

"I asked her everything I could think of, but she really doesn't know anything about this sickness," Aileen said. "Whoever's doing it... it's not Erika this time."

"That makes sense," Scorpius replied. "She was caught red-handed last year. If Xyler wanted something to happen in Hogwarts, he wouldn't use Erika again, not while everyone's got their eye on her. He'd use someone else... or some other means, besides a Hogwarts spy. He'd run the risk of getting caught if he used Erika again. If it _is_ Xyler who's behind this, then he's working from a different angle this time."

Scorpius let out a few dry coughs.

Aileen frowned.

"I don't think this is the same as your mother," Scorpius said. "I mean... your mother died from some kind of sickness, but... this sickness isn't killing anybody. Look at all these sick students. None of them have died. It might not be the same thing your mother died from. It might not even be deadly."

"Maybe..." Aileen murmured.

"This might not have anything to do with Xyler," Scorpius stated. "We don't have any way of knowing for sure. We just... we don't know."

Everyone was quiet, all of them thinking along the same lines; was Xyler to blame for this mystery illness? Or was it someone else? Or was it, perhaps, nothing but a minor illness, and it wasn't spreading due to someone's evil plans? Perhaps it was simply a new sickness that had reached Hogwarts on its own, and perhaps it wasn't purposely released or engineered by anybody. Perhaps Aileen had been overthinking it this whole time; it may not have had anything to do with Xyler's evil plans or her mother's untimely death at all.

"Have you ever heard of the Black Alchemist?" Aileen asked. "Allister told me that the Black Alchemist would be the only person in the world who's capable of making a new disease, but he apparently lived during Grindlewald's time."

Scorpius shook his head. "Never heard of him."

The others shook their heads as well, all except for Rose.

"I read a little about him in History of Magic, but he was only mentioned once," Rose said. "The book said that the Black Alchemist might've had a hand in Grindlewald's exploits in America, helping him maintain a steady flow of Polyjuice Potion... but that's about it. The book didn't give any real information about him."

"The Black Alchemist," came Draco's voice as he marched back into the hospital wing. "What are you on about him for?"

All the children stared at Draco.

"Do you know who the Black Alchemist is, Dad?" Scorpius questioned.

Draco nodded, wearing a somewhat grim face, which made Aileen think that he was remembering something unpleasant.

"I heard him mentioned a few times, back when..." Draco said, pausing. "Back when... well... back before the Dark Lord was defeated."

"What do you know about him?" Scorpius asked. "Can you tell us?"

"Why?" Draco said suspiciously, narrowing his grayish eyes at the kids. "Why do you need to know something like that?"

"It's for an extra credit assignment in History of Magic," Rose fibbed. "We'll get an extra grade if we can write an essay about the Black Alchemist. It's supposed to be an extra challenging assignment, you know, because it's so hard to find information about him."

Aileen and Scorpius smirked at Rose, both impressed by her witty lie.

Draco gulped.

"It... was the year of the Triwizard Tournament, I think," Draco started hesitantly. "That was when... I heard from my father, anyway... that was when the Dark Lord was being given a life-sustaining potion to keep him alive until... until after their ritual was complete."

"Using my dad's blood to bring him back, you mean? In Tom Riddle's graveyard?" Albus said, and Draco nodded.

"The potion given to the Dark Lord was made by the Black Alchemist," Draco said. "Pettigrew hired him to make it for the Dark Lord... to keep him alive until his resurrection was complete."

"So the Black Alchemist was still alive during Voldemort's time?" Aileen synopsized. "Could he still be alive now?"

"Possibly," Draco told her. "He's a potions master. He's probably found a number of ways to prolong his life."

The children exchanged thoughtful glances.

"Well... we'd better be off, then," Rose said. "We've got to finish this essay before the week is over. It was nice to see you again, Scorpius. We'll be back to visit you soon. Thank you for your help, Mr. Malfoy."

The kids all stood from their seats and prepared to leave. Aileen gave Scorpius a look, feeling like she wanted to say something more, but she didn't know what.

"Thank you," Scorpius said seriously.

Aileen replied with a nod and a smile.

"Use the compass," Scorpius whispered, hoping his father wouldn't hear. "If you think someone's spreading the sickness on purpose... try using the Guidance Compass to find the source."

Aileen gave him a thumbs-up, and the children left the hospital wing.


	9. O'Heidin & Sayre

During Scorpius's stay in the hospital wing, Aileen spent the rest of the day following her guidance compass around Hogwarts mindlessly.

The compass was leading her in circles, which meant one of two things - either the person poisoning Hogwarts with a magical disease was protecting themselves with concealment spells, or there _was_ no one poisoning the students, and the compass was searching for something that didn't exist.

When she turned the same corner for the fifth time, Aileen groaned, beginning to grow frustrated. She stopped suddenly after nearly ramming into someone.

"Oh. Watch yourself there, Aileen," Harry said, smiling down at her. He was holding a large box that smelled like pizza, and he had a silky, deep green cloak over his shoulder.

Aileen blinked. "You're here again?"

"Hogwarts needs protection, and Professor Crowley needs to eat," Harry replied, patting the box with one hand. "Your father had these specially made. Pizzas with blood rather than pasta sauce. Sounds disgusting, honestly... but it'll get the job done."

Aileen nodded, glimpsing around and noticeably distracted.

Harry glanced around as well, ensuring no one was around to overhear. He placed the box on the floor and bent down, whispering to her. "Found out anything interesting yet?"

Aileen gulped nervously. "I... I gave Erika a truth potion."

Harry's smile faded. "Did you?"

"Aye, but... she didn't know anything," Aileen sighed. "She's not doing anything suspicious. She just kept rambling about her family..."

"Did you give her the counter-potion?" Harry asked, masking his concern.

Aileen blinked. "Counter-potion?"

"Loquela," Harry informed. "It diminishes the effects of Veritaserum, gives the drinker their free speech back. All right... maybe it's not a problem. If you gave her a small dose, it might've worn off by now."

Aileen felt her heart make a nervous jolt. "N-no. She drank a whole bottle."

Harry stared blankly at her. "Oh."

Aileen felt goosebumps slither up and down her arms, a sense of dread sweeping over her. The truth potion needed a counter-potion? She had no clue. No wonder Erika was being so antisocial lately - she was still under the influence of Veritaserum.

"Well... something good came out of it, at least," Harry said. "Now I know Erika isn't part of the problem."

"Where do I find Loquela?" Aileen asked fearfully. "How do I fix it? How do I fix Erika?"

Harry smirked. "You'll find it at the same place you found the Veritaserum, I expect. Just be careful. If you get caught, I can't cover for you."

Aileen gulped, feeling more anxious than ever.

"Now... after you get done dealing with Erika's problem, I think you should back away from this whole thing," Harry added, kneeling in front of her. "I think it's safer that way."

"But-!" Aileen tried to protest, but Harry held up a hand.

"I'm telling you," he said, giving her a stern look. "You _need_ to stay out of trouble."

Aileen frowned at him.

Harry slid the silky green cloak off his shoulder, placing it in Aileen's arms. Aileen gave him a bewildered look.

"And," he went on. "While you're staying out of trouble, you can wear this Shield Cloak. It'll keep you safe while you're out there _not_ breaking the rules. Understand?"

Aileen gaped at him. Harry winked, stood, collected the box, and prepared to leave the corridor.

"I... I don't get it," Aileen called after him, holding up the Shield Cloak. "Why'd you get me this? I mean, I really like it, but..."

"Quidditch is a dangerous game. I just thought you could use a little protection," Harry said, a strange sparkle in his eye. "Albus told me you had your eye on a Shield Cloak when you were doing your school shopping. It's useful. Use it well."

At that, he marched off.

Aileen stared after him for several minutes, totally confused. But her confusion diminished when her worry returned; Erika was still suffering the effects of Veritaserum, and somehow, Aileen had to mend it before anyone found out. She could only imagine the trouble she'd land in if anyone found out what she did to Erika...

Nervous, Aileen pocketed her compass and threw the cloak over herself, speed-walking back to the Slytherin common room. She had to find Allister; she didn't know where the potions were kept, and Allister was the only one who could help her. But after searching every nook and cranny of the common room, she found no house elf. Ziggy flicked his tongue between the cage bars, watching Aileen as she searched around frantically, but Allister was nowhere to be found.

"Damn!" Aileen swore, trying to stifle her panic.

Allister was a Hogwarts employee, and he took orders from numerous people, not just Aileen. He was probably out running an errand for someone else. Did that mean Aileen was on her own? How could she find the counter-potion by herself? She didn't know how to use Allister's concealment charm, and she didn't have a clue where Loquela was or what it looked like.

She'd forgotten all about finding the culprit behind the mysterious illness; now, all she could think about was Erika. How could Aileen fix this problem by herself?

Aileen draped Ziggy over her shoulders, staring at her guidance compass again. Perhaps the compass could lead her to the correct potion. It wasn't the best lead, but it was all she had.

Just when she prepared to leave, someone else stepped into the darkened common room, blocking Aileen's path.

Erika stepped inside, clutching a large book, glaring at Aileen from behind her bangs.

Erika surveyed the common room, seeing that the two of them were alone. Then, she tossed the book aside and flipped out her wand, grabbing Aileen by the collar and pinning her to the wall, pressing her wand into Aileen's throat.

"Whoa!" Aileen gasped. "Calm down!"

Erika glared furiously at her, grinding her teeth. Erika seemed like she wanted more than anything to speak, to hit Aileen with a barrage of insults, but Erika said nothing for nearly a full minute, fearing that speaking would result in another slew of truth flooding out beyond her control.

"I... _hate_... you," Erika growled. "Do you... have any idea... how hard this is... to fight? How hard... it is... to speak normally?"

"I-I was just about to go look for the counter-potion," Aileen breathed. "I didn't know Veritaserum needed a counter-potion until a little while ago. I'm sorry."

"SORRY?" Erika jabbed the wand into Aileen's throat harshly, making her wince. "I... should... KILL YOU! Or... better yet... turn you in!"

"I had to know!" Aileen proclaimed. "I had to know if you were working with Valefor again. Can you blame me? The entire school is getting hospitalized! Something bad is going on, and I had to know!"

"Get... me... the counter-potion," Erika fumed, her eyes shining with hatred. " _Now_."

"O-okay," Aileen exhaled, gently pushing her wand away. "Just calm down. We'll go to the potions class. We'll start looking there. Okay?"

"No," Erika snarled. "It won't be in the potions class. It'll be in the storage closet outside of the class. That's where the ready-made potions are kept."

"Okay, fine, then we'll go there." Aileen agreed. "Do you know what the counter-potion looks like?"

Erika glared at her for a moment, then spun on her heel and snatched up her book, flipping it open to the page she had bookmarked. She held the book up, pointing to a picture of a tiny, black vial. "This is Loquela. This is what we need."

"Good, good," Aileen said, nodded and trying to smile. "We'll fix this. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Erika glowered. " _You're_ the one who should be worried. If this doesn't work, I'll hex you into oblivion."

"Okay, fine, whatever..."

The two girls left the common room, glimpsing around warily as they headed toward their potions class. For a while, they were both silent. Aileen could only imagine what would happen if they were stopped by a teacher. If anyone questioned them, Erika might blurt out their plan and spoil the whole thing.

Just when they rounded the corner and found themselves across from the potions room, Aileen gasped. Professor Crowley was strolling down the hall, snacking on a slice of pizza and beaming in a way Aileen had never seen.

"Aileen!" he exclaimed, approaching her. "This pizza is _brilliant_. Tell your father thanks for me."

"Okay, I will," Aileen nodded, trying to move past him.

Professor Crowley squinted at Erika. "I've never seen the two of you together before. Finally getting along, are you?"

"Yes." "No."

Aileen and Erika answered at the same time. Professor Crowley swapped peculiar looks with the two girls.

"So..." Professor Crowley said. "Where are you two off to?"

"Quidditch practice." "The potions class."

Aileen shot Erika a look.

Professor Crowley narrowed his eyes at them.

"We're just stopping off at the potions class," Aileen lied. "I forgot my best quill in there earlier today. We're just stopping by to get it, then heading off to Quidditch practice."

"Do you have Quidditch practice today? I thought it was tomorrow," Professor Crowley replied.

"W-well, Callidus wanted me to brush up on my flying," Aileen fibbed wittily. "I have a really fast broom, and I can't always control it. He wants me to make time for extra practice."

"I see." Professor Crowley's differently-colored eyes zeroed in on Erika. "Why're you accompanying her then, Ms. Sayre? You're not on the team, are you?"

"She's just going with me for moral support." "I'm going with her because I'm going to hex her if she screws this up."

Aileen glared at Erika again. Then, she faced Professor Crowley and laughed, slapping Erika on the arm.

"She's just being extra supportive," Aileen laughed. "She says she'll hex me if I don't try my best. That's what friends are for!"

"Sure," Professor Crowley said skeptically. "Although, I don't recall the two of you ever being friends."

"We made up. We're best friends now." "We're _not_ friends. I wish she would die in a fire."

Aileen gaped at Erika, then let out another fake laugh. "Stop saying stuff like that, Erika! People are gonna think you're serious! Ahaha! Okay, well, we'd better get going. Callidus won't like it if I'm late. Seeya, Professor Crowley!"

Without waiting for his reply, Aileen grabbed Erika by the arm and practically dragged her into the potions class, closing the door behind them. Erika snapped her hand away, huffing and crossing her arms.

"Jesus," Aileen griped. "You wish I would die in a fire? Really?"

"Don't get an attitude with me! You're the one who fed me a truth potion," Erika responded. "Truth hurts."

"But... die in a fire? _Really_?" Aileen asked. "You really feel that way?"

"You're always in my way, and I have a goal to accomplish," Erika snapped. "You're the thing standing between me and getting my brother back. If I have to choose between you and my brother, then... yes. Of _course_ I'd pick him."

"Erika... magic can't bring dead people back," Aileen sighed. "I don't know why you think it can, but you should know better. You're smarter than me. Hell, you're smarter than most of the people in this school. Surely you don't really think-"

"Just find me the damn potion," Erika cut her off. "Hurry up."

Aileen hesitated, glimpsing around the empty classroom.

"First, tell me something," Aileen said. "What did Xyler tell you, exactly? Did he actually say he could resurrect your brother?"

"No," Erika replied without meaning to. "I mean... sort of. Look, stop asking me questions! Just find the potion!"

"You said Xyler could get your brother back. That's why you worked for him last year," Aileen continued. "Right?"

"Yes," Erika blurted, curling her hands into fists. "Stop asking me questions!"

"So you worked for Xyler to get your brother back. Does that mean that Valefor didn't put the Imperius Curse on you?" Aileen inquired.

"I don't know if he did, I really don't," Erika stated. "Aileen, I swear to God, if you don't get the damn po-"

"One more thing," Aileen interrupted. "You got a package at the beginning of the year. You opened it, you drank a potion, and you transformed the package and the wrapping into a bunch of jewelry. Remember?"

"Yes."

"Okay. What was the package? What was the potion? And who did it come from?"

"The package was medicine," Erika replied against her will, cringing as she spoke. "I don't know what kind, it just said it was medicine, and it was urgent that I take it. I don't know who it came from."

"Do your parents send you packages?"

"Yes."

"Do they always sign their names to the packages?"

"Yes."

"Then it probably wasn't sent by your parents, right?"

"That's right..."

"So, that only leaves one person."

Aileen and Erika stared at each other.

"Valefor," they both said in unison.

"No-no, stop it!" Erika clasped her skull, shaking her head and looking away. "Stop! I want this to _stop_!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Aileen said quickly, lifting her compass. "Let's go."

Carefully, she peeked out of the classroom, seeing that the hallway was empty before stepping out. She and Erika tip-toed over to the closet outside of the classroom. Aileen jerked on the door, but it wouldn't budge.

Erika whipped out her wand and aimed it. _"Alohamora."_

The lock jerked around, and the door creaked open.

The room inside was narrow, but taller than Aileen could believe. There was a ladder inside that reached up for what looked like two stories high, and the entire encloser was made of shelves containing numerous strangely-shaped bottles, full of multi-colored liquids.

Aileen held up her compass, waiting for the needle to settle on a direction. The needle pointed forward, a little to the left, and Aileen searched the lowest shelves before daring to climb the ladder. Erika kept guard at the door, scanning the hallway nervously.

 _"Hurry up!"_ Erika whisper-yelled.

Aileen held her compass to every shelf as she climbed. After reaching the ninth shelf (when she was beginning to fear the height of the ladder), the compass finally landed on a tiny black bottle. The bottle had a crooked label on it, reading: **Loquela**.

"Yes!" Aileen grabbed the bottle and pocketed it, then began scurrying down the ladder.

"Someone's coming!" Erika exclaimed, jumping into the closet and pulling it shut.

The two girls hid in the closet nervously, waiting for whoever was outside to pass.

"Here," Aileen whispered, placing the Loquela in her hands. "Drink it. Hurry!"

Erika held the bottle up and drank all its contents in two swift gulps.

The voices outside were drawing closer, and Aileen's heart dropped. She recognized the voices.

"It's the headmaster," Aileen said, pressing an ear to the door. "And Professor Hayes."

"Hayes... the potion master," Erika rumbled. "Great. They're definitely gonna find us."

"Here - sit down. I have an idea," Aileen said, pushing Erika into a sitting position. "Just sit down and smile. Laugh a little bit."

Erika gave her a bizarre look. "What on _earth_ are you on about?"

"Just smile and laugh," Aileen urged. "Make it look like we're having a nice conversation."

Aileen was sitting with her back facing the door; she heard the door open behind her, and instantly, Aileen let out a series of high-pitched giggles.

Erika was trying to plaster a fake smile on her face, forcing out a few dry giggles.

Professors Arius and Hayes stood in the doorway, staring down at the girls.

Aileen turned and stared up at them, still grinning. "Hey, Professor Arius."

"Hello... Aileen," Professor Arius replied. "What're you two doing in the potions closet?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aileen said, giggling again. "We couldn't find any other private place to talk. We're talking about boys."

"Y-yeah," Erika added, snickering halfheartedly. "S-sorry, Professor. We don't like talking about this stuff in our common room. Too many people eavesdropping."

"Aye, you know how kids are," Aileen said. "They'd spread all kinds of gossip if they heard us talking about crushes!"

Aileen and Erika met eyes and giggled childishly.

Professor Hayes, the handsome, wavy-haired potions master, bent down and surveyed them closely. "I don't believe I've ever seen you two on friendly terms before."

"Nor have I," Professor Arius added, his eyes shining with suspicion.

"Well, I thought we should make up after what happened last year," Aileen told them. "We're both Slytherins. We should be friends, not enemies. Besides, we both like the same kind of guys. I didn't think we'd have any common ground, but we do!"

"You're too young to be trolling for boys," Professor Arius laughed. "You'll have to find somewhere else to conduct your little crush meetings, girls. Students aren't allowed in the potions closet without explicit permission from a teacher. There are a lot of dangerous substances in there."

"Okay, we won't do it again," Aileen assured, reaching her feet. "I'm sorry, Professor."

"Yes, I'm sorry too," Erika said. "We'll be going now."

The two girls walked off, pretending to giggle and swap hushed gossip.

Professors Arius and Hayes watched them go.

"Quite remarkable," Hayes said. "I never thought I'd see the two of them getting along. I wonder what brought them to speaking terms."

Professor Arius sighed. "Something against the rules, I'm sure."

Aileen and Erika sauntered away, chuckling stupidly and trading smiles like best friends.

"Ahaha... oh, you know I'm gonna kill you in your sleep, right?" Erika muttered, still wearing a false smile.

Aileen giggled loudly. "Ahahaha... oh, shut the hell up and keep walking."

The two of them kept up the facade until they were out of the teachers' eyeshot. When they reached the Slytherin common room, Aileen put Ziggy back in his cage, releasing a relieved cloud of breath.

"Well," Aileen said, facing Erika. "There we are, then. Back to normal."

Erika's eyes narrowed into slits. "You think you can just poison me and get away with it?"

"Yeah," Aileen shrugged, wearing a smug smirk. "I'm pretty sure I just did."

Erika whipped out her wand again, and Aileen did the same. The two of them glared heatedly at each other.

"Watch your back," Erika snarled. "You're gonna pay for what you did. Mark my words."

"Oh, please," Aileen scoffed. "I just helped you free of charge, even after you said you wanted me to die in a fire."

"You only helped me to cover your own ass," Erika growled. "I'm warning you. If you _ever_ try anything like that again..."

"Erika, seriously," Aileen said. "You're the only connection in the school with Valefor and Xyler. I'm sorry I fed you Veritaserum, but you're the only person I could've suspected. People are getting sick from the same thing that killed my mother, and we both know Valefor was the one who sent you that medicine at the beginning of the year. Do you really think I'm just gonna back off? Do you really think there isn't something going on here?"

"It doesn't _matter_ ," Erika hissed. "It's got nothing to do with either one of us."

"Um, yeah it does. My mother died because of this sickness, and-"

"Nobody in Hogwarts is dying from it, so I seriously doubt it's the same sickness that killed your mother."

"And Valefor sent you medicine at the beginning of the year. You know what that means, don't you?"

"No."

"It means Valefor _knew_ there would be an outbreak. It means he's behind it somehow. He's influencing the school again... but this time, he's not doing it through you. He sent you medicine to protect you while everyone else got sick. Don't you see that?"

"That doesn't make any sense," Erika said, lowering her wand. "He couldn't have influenced the school without another mole."

"Then someone else here is doing it," Aileen told her. "Someone else in the school is working for Valefor and Xyler."

Aileen and Erika lost the ambition to fight, both of them looking puzzled and thoughtful.

"Well," Erika said. "My uncle used to serve Lord Voldemort, and... Voldemort solicited the aid of dark creatures more than anything."

Aileen stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... if there aren't enough dark wizards to go around, where else would Xyler and Valefor turn for help?" Erika asked. "Think about it. Trolls, werewolves, ogres, vampires, dementors, goblins, house elves, giants... Voldemort loved using magical creatures in his army. There aren't many dark wizards out and about these days, but there are plenty of creatures to enlist. If there are any creatures like that in the school, they're probably the mole. Valefor loves using creatures... he loved manipulating animals, even our family dog..."

"Creatures..." Aileen pondered. "Are you... are you actually _helping_ me with this?"

"I'm just trying to give you some ideas," Erika replied. "If you're gonna sniff around for answers, I'd like you to leave me out of it. You know full well that I've got nothing to do with this sickness, so you have no reason to suspect me anymore. Start looking elsewhere. I'd start with magical creatures. That's your best bet. Maybe check out some of the creatures Hagrid keeps in his cabin, or see if Crowley's hiding another boggart in his room."

"But that doesn't make any-" Aileen stopped dead, her heart feeling as if it had frozen over.

Yes, there was one dark creature in the school that she knew of.

"Crowley," Aileen uttered. "No, that can't... no way..."

"Professor Crowley isn't a dark creature, Aileen. Keep up," Erika sighed. "But he's a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, which means he might have some kind of creature locked up in his office for the students to practice on. He wouldn't be the first to do that. Plus, we both know Hagrid has plenty of weird creatures... then, there's everything in the Forbidden Forest..."

Aileen was barely listening anymore. Yes, Professor Crowley _was_ a dark creature, but Aileen was one of the very few people who knew about his condition. Crowley couldn't be in league with Xyler and Valefor. Could he? Sure, he was a vampire and he always wore nothing but black and red. He looked like any suspicious character from a movie, but he _knew_ Aileen, and Aileen knew _him_. He couldn't be working with Xyler. He _couldn't_ be...

Professor Crowley was one of Professor Arius's best friends. Not to mention, Crowley was in charge of a large part of the school's security now. If anyone could influence the school, he certainly could.

Aileen lifted her arm, staring at the puncture wounds. Professor Crowley nearly panicked himself into a fit after he bit Aileen, and he scrambled to fix the problem and cure her before she turned. He seemed to care a lot about his students.

But he was a Slytherin, just like Aileen, just like Erika. Maybe he was just a good actor, like Aileen and Erika pretending to be best friends in the potions closet. Maybe he was just putting on a good show, like any cunning Slytherin would know to do. Maybe he was just playing the part of a caring teacher to keep everyone's suspicions directed elsewhere.

"Aileen," Erika said, spotting her troubled expression. "What's your problem? Why're you zoning out?"

"Sorry..." Aileen murmured, collecting Ziggy from his cage again. "I need to be alone right now."

Aileen marched out of the common room and walked until she reached the outside, sitting in the courtyard as the sun began to set. Her troubling thoughts were weighing heavily on her now; Professor Crowley, her favorite teacher, a dark wizard?

If the sickness was spreading by design, then Xyler most assuredly had another mole in Hogwarts, but she knew Erika was innocent this time. It was true that Voldemort, as well as many other dark wizards, often used magical creatures to do their bidding - but _Professor Crowley_?

None of Hagrid's bizarre pets were smart enough to pull this off, and none of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest had direct access to the school. If Xyler was using a magical creature, Professor Crowley was the only possibility.

Aileen sighed, her eyes filling with tears as the day faded to night.

* * *

Her worrisome suspicions followed her like a dark cloud, but as weeks passed, she didn't tell anyone what she was thinking. She wrestled with her thoughts in silence, trying to tell herself that Professor Crowley wasn't capable of such treachery, that he was one of the good guys... but in reality, she had no way of knowing for sure.

Halloween came and went, and when the temperature outside began to plummet and when Christmas - and her next Quidditch game - were right around the corner, Aileen finally decided to voice her suspicions to her friends. After all, the guidance compass wasn't leading her to the culprit, and Erika was innocent. Students were still falling ill, and nothing was being done about it.

No matter how badly she wanted to dismiss the possibility that Professor Crowley was in league with Xyler, she had to face the suspicion. It was the only lead left.


	10. When a Heart Stops

The Great Hall was lush with Christmas decor, snowflakes descending from the enchanted ceiling above.

Aileen isolated herself at the edge of the Gryffindor table with her friends, ready to divulge her unwitting suspicions about Professor Crowley. Maxwell, Albus, Rose, and - recently released from the hospital wing - Scorpius, all sat around her, waiting expectantly for her to explain. She'd told them that she needed to tell them something, but she was unsure how to word it.

Aileen glimpsed around, hoping no one would overhear. She leaned over her dinner plate, speaking to them in a hushed voice.

"Something happened between me and Erika," Aileen told them. "It was a few weeks ago. I had to help her get a counter-potion for the Veritaserum... and after that, we got to talking..."

"Hold on." Scorpius held up a hand. "You _talked_ to her? Like, you two talked like actual human beings? And she didn't try to jinx you or anything?"

"It was complicated," Aileen sighed. "She needed my help, and she was trying to help me figure this whole sickness thing out."

"Have you considered that she's playing you?" Scorpius asked. "She might be trying to get inside your head and lead you away from her scent. If she's doing anything suspicious, she'd want you to snoop around elsewhere."

"And after what she did last year, you really can't trust her," Albus added, Maxwell and Rose nodding in agreement.

"I know, but... when I asked her all those questions, she was still under the influence of the Veritaserum," Aileen explained. "I really don't think she could've been lying. She said she got medicine in the mail at the beginning of the year, and the package wasn't signed. She said her parents always sign their names to her mail - which only leaves one person she could've gotten the medicine from."

"Her uncle Valefor," Rose muttered gravely. "If he sent her medication ahead of time, he must've known there'd be a virus outbreak."

"Exactly," Aileen agreed. "Which means there's another mole working for Xyler and Valefor in Hogwarts. If the sickness outbreak was just an accident, Erika wouldn't have gotten medication for it beforehand. No - someone _knew_ this would happen, which means it was intentional."

"But..." Maxwell uttered, slowly raising his hand to intervene. "Um... this sickness isn't killing anyone. Why would they spread a sickness that doesn't kill anyone? I mean, Scorpius got better. Some of the other students have gotten better, too."

Aileen stared at him. He made a good point; if a dark wizard wanted to spread a magical disease throughout Hogwarts, why was the disease so benign? Why wasn't it killing anyone?

"Illnesses don't always work that simply," Rose informed them. "Sometimes, you may _think_ you've gotten better, but the sickness is still inside you. Maybe stage two is the part that's supposed to kill you. Maybe the reason no one's died is because they haven't reached the full extent of the sickness yet."

They all exchanged grim faces.

"There's one other thing, too," Aileen said hesitantly. "There aren't many openly dark wizards these days, and Erika said dark wizards like to use magical creatures for their dirty work."

"That's actually true," Rose said knowingly. "Dark wizards can rely on creatures much more than humans, especially simple creatures who like to take orders."

"Well..." Aileen took a moment glimpsing around warily. "What I'm about to tell you can _not_ leave this table. I mean, seriously - you can _never_ tell _anyone_ what I'm about to tell you." Her eyes landed on Rose and Scorpius.

Albus and Maxwell already knew Crowley's secret, but Rose and Scorpius didn't. Aileen took in a heavy breath and explained.

"Professor Crowley is a vampire," Aileen whispered. "Professor Arius told me never to tell anyone. Don't _ever_ tell anyone about this. All right?"

Rose and Scorpius both nodded, a glint of shock in their eyes.

"Wait," Rose said suddenly. "You're not suggesting that he's..."

"He's the only 'creature' in the school," Aileen sighed. "I hate to think such a thing of him, but he's..."

"He's your _favorite teacher_ ," Rose gasped. "And you think he's working for _Xyler_?"

"I don't _know_ if he is or not," Aileen responded. "I hope he's not. But... there's no way to know for sure. I mean, who else could the mole be?"

"Anyone in the school," Rose argued. "Xyler and Valefor used a student last year. Maybe they're using a different student this year. There are loads of students in the school we know nothing about. You can't just assume it's Crowley because of his condition."

"Professor Crowley used to be an auror," Maxwell chimed in. "He's always nice to us, too. He wouldn't be..."

"We could ask him," Albus suggested.

Everyone stared at him.

Albus blinked. "What?"

"How would we ask him such a thing?" Scorpius asked. _"Hey, Professor Crowley. Say, you're not poisoning everyone in the school under_ _Xyler's_ _orders, are you?"_

"No... we don't ask him _directly_ ," Albus scoffed. "We just ask him what he knows about the whole thing. He's helping my dad and Professor Arius keep the school secure. Whether he's working for Xyler or not, he would know more than most of the other teachers. It's worth a try."

"He wouldn't tell us," Maxwell mumbled. "We're just students."

"He might tell _one_ of us," Scorpius suggested, narrowing his eyes at Aileen. "You're his favorite. He'd tell you before he'd tell anyone else."

"Yeah, that's a good point," Albus agreed. "He might feel indebted to you, Aileen. He did bite you, after all."

"He did _what-_?" Rose gasped. Scorpius made a _shush_ -ing motion, waving her down.

"I'll tell you something else, too," Albus said. "We never found the Founders' Fortunes for Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. The bow and the shield are still out there somewhere, and the Sorting Hat has the ability to summon them. As long as there's a mole in the school, the other two Founders' Fortunes are in danger as well as the students."

"Fair point," Rose replied. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Where did you get this?" Maxwell asked, stroking the velvety cloth of Aileen's Shield Cloak.

"Oh... it was a gift," Aileen answered.

Then, she sparked another idea. Yes - Professor Crowley was the best person to ask about the state of the school's security, but there was one other person who might know even more. The person who gave her the cloak.

"Harry," Aileen murmured. "Albus - you could ask your father."

"Yeah, I suppose I could," Albus agreed. "I'll ask my father, you ask Professor Crowley."

"Right," Aileen nodded.

"'Allo allo, my little nosebleeds." James sauntered over to them, draping his arm over Albus and Rose's shoulders. "Everyone ready for Slytherin to bomb in Quidditch today?"

Aileen shot him a cold glare. "Gryffindor ate our dust last game. Ravenclaw is gonna feel the same pain today."

"Yeeeah, right," James laughed. "Don't get cocky, snake girl."

After James moseyed off, Aileen turned to the others and whispered.

"We'll ask Harry and Professor Crowley after Quidditch tonight. Aye?"

Her friends nodded.

* * *

The air was blisteringly cold outside.

Aileen marched onto the Quidditch field with her teammates, wrapped in two layers of clothing as well as her Shield Cloak and a thick pair of gloves. She tried to repress her troubling thoughts of Professor Crowley, paying no mind to Mad'am Hooch's start-of-game announcements and peering up at the stands. She couldn't see them from here, but she knew Samuel was here now, ready to watch his daughter's game.

Knowing her father was watching always made her a bit nervous, but she did exceptionally well last game. She'd do fine. She didn't need to worry.

The stands were full of cheering, and Aileen thought she heard music playing from somewhere. Professor Crowley was sitting beside Samuel and Harry up above, giving them an earful about the dueling club before the match started. Aileen's friends were just a few rows down from Crowley and Samuel, leaning on the balcony and waiting to see Aileen and Scorpius in the air.

Aileen gulped and mounted her broomstick, as did the others.

"Don't lose your grip," Callidus told his team. "You might get frostbitten out here. Keep a tight hold of your brooms at all times. We don't need another incident."

Aileen thought of Scorpius falling from his broom. She stole a glimpse of him, and he was mounted on his broomstick, wearing a visage of determination. He seemed to have recovered from the mystery illness. Hopefully, it was out of his system by now.

She glanced up at the stands again, trying not to think about Professor Crowley and failing. What would she do if she found out he was working for Xyler? She loved his classes and his dueling club. She loved being friends with such a skilled, outcasted teacher. What would she do if Professor Crowley turned out to be in league with the man who killed her mother?

Mad'am Hooch blew her whistle, and Aileen jumped, snapping out of her thoughts. Everyone soared into the air and whizzed about in all directions, the Ravenclaw captain seizing the quaffle and soaring off toward the Slytherin goals at once.

The Ravenclaws scored right away, causing an eruption of applause from the Ravenclaw stands. When the next round began, Callidus kicked himself into gear, flying faster than Aileen thought possible of a broomstick. For a moment, she had nowhere to go, so she floated midair, waiting for an opening so she could make a move.

This went on for a while. Nearly an hour passed by before Aileen had the chance to intervene in the game, and after narrowly dodging a bludger aimed at her leg, she scored for Slytherin. The crowd cheered from afar, and Aileen wheeled around, seeing that the players were lining up, preparing for another round.

Just when Aileen was about to join them, something flew in front of her face.

At first, she thought it was the golden snitch - but this tiny, flying object wasn't gold, and it certainly wasn't round. In fact, she'd seen it before.

It was a small black bat, fluttering around frantically in the freezing air.

Aileen grabbed at it, but it ascended out of her grasp.

"Valefor!" Aileen shrieked, her fingers and toes going numb, but she didn't care; she whipped around and shot after the bat, drawing her wand and flying haphazardly through the oncoming snowfall.

She forgot about the game entirely; everything around her, the snow, the crowd, the players - none of it existed. Now, the only thing that existed was the tiny bat flapping madly in front of her, flying away at top speed. Aileen soared through the air like a rocket, abandoning the field and vanishing from everyone's sight.

"Where is she going?" Samuel muttered.

"She's chasing something. It looks like a..." Professor Crowley's bewitched eye zeroed in on Aileen shortly before she vanished from eyeshot.

Then, Professor Crowley marched down the stands, staring after Aileen for a moment before looking downward, where a few of the players had abandoned their brooms, many of them gazing up at the sky in confusion.

 _"Accio!"_ Professor Crowley exclaimed, summoning one of the brooms up to the stands and catching it swiftly. He flew after Aileen in a heartbeat.

Aileen felt as if shards of glass were slicing at her face and fingers as she rocketed through the snow, the bat still barely within her eyeshot, flying away as quickly as his little wings could manage.

 _"Stupefy!"_ Aileen screamed, shooting a spell after the bat, but the bat dodged her attack. _"Stupefy! STUPEFY!"_

The bat bobbed and weaved through the air, jumping away from the streaks of red light.

Aileen's blood boiled, her heart hammering and her temper skyrocketing. That bat was an animagus - the same animagus who disguised himself as a pet last year, the one who turned out to be an ex-Death Eater in disguise. Valefor.

He got away before. Not again. Not this time.

 _"EXPELLIARMUS! STUPEFY! INCENDIO! STUPEFY!"_

Aileen shot spell after spell at the creature, but none made contact.

Then, the bat dropped downward, flying toward the ground.

Aileen did the same, shooting toward the ground with no ounce of regard for her safety; the Death Eater was back, the one who tried to torture and kill her last year, the one who might've been involved with her mother's death.

She couldn't let him get away. Not again. Not again...

The bat came within an inch of the grass before changing course again.

Aileen yanked her broom upward, barely stopping herself before smashing into the ground, a wicked pain spiraling up her neck and spine, but it didn't matter. She flew after the bat again, shooting spells and flying until...

A figure came into view, and suddenly, Aileen began to slow her momentum, her mouth falling agape.

It was a person, someone lying on the ground, pale and motionless.

Aileen gasped and brought herself to an abrupt stop, stumbling off her broom and approaching the person. It was a young boy in Gryffindor robes, slowly being buried in a light blanket of snow, his skin as pale as death, his eyes open and lifeless.

Aileen felt like she might vomit, covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Someone died out here. A student, no less...

Her eyes darted around again, searching for Valefor, but the bat had disappeared.

Now, she was standing alone in an open field, surrounded by fog and snow. She didn't know where she was, exactly, but it must've been somewhere between the Quidditch field and the school. This boy died on his way to the game.

Aileen's hands began to shake, her stomach churning, her eyes lost in the lifeless boy. He didn't appear to be inured, but as Aileen bent down and examined him, she spotted a faint, red rash crawling up his neck.

 _Did the sickness finally succeed in killing someone?_

"Oh God," Aileen whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks, her anger fading into despair.

She couldn't tear her gaze from the boy's eyes, eyes wide and void of feeling, staring emptily into nothingness.

The winter air seemed to drop even lower, every breath visible, every inch of her body feeling like it might freeze solid. Aileen stared into the boy, an unbearable sense of despair sweeping over her. She wondered if her mother looked this way when she passed, eyes wide and empty, body stiff and pale... God, she could only imagine... soon, everyone would look this way... everyone would die... she'd never see Maxwell again, never get to talk to Professor Crowley, never get to hug her father... it was all over... everything...

The fog of despair felt to be consuming her, her heart aching, her mind filled with horrific images of all her friends lying dead and pale in the snow, all with red on their necks. She'd never see them again, never laugh with them again... her father would die... she would die...

Aileen sobbed over the dead boy, slowly looking up as a figure approached her. It didn't walk, but glided, coasting toward her with ease.

The dark figure loomed over her, its face cloaked, its hands skeletal and ridden with decay. Aileen stared hopelessly up at it, sniffling and choking, feeling as if every ounce of happiness had vanished from the entire world... they'd all die from the sickness, even Samuel, even Harry, even Crowley and Arius... Xyler would rule the world...

Aileen felt herself drain like a battery as the dementor siphoned her of joy, her eyes drifting shut, her breaths growing thin. The world grew colder... her body went rigid... everything was over...

 _"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_

Someone bellowed from behind her, and Aileen saw a blinding flash of white light. The light took the form of a bat, growing in size, and as its wings extended, a wicked forcefield exploded from the creature, sending the dementor flying.

The dementor flipped backward in the air, soaring away and vanishing into the fog as the patronus swept across the scene, driving any and all darkness away.

Professor Crowley lowered his wand as the light began to diminish. He looked down, seeing Aileen unconscious, lying beside the dead boy.

A dreadful expression took over Profesor Crowley, his mouth drifting open, a glint of shock and disbelief in his eyes as he stared at the rash on the boy's neck. Seconds after, he tore his gaze from the dead boy and kneeled beside Aileen, feeling her forehead and checking her pulse. Still warm, still alive.

"Aileen," Professor Crowley said, giving her a light shake, but Aileen didn't stir.

He heard multiple feet hitting the ground behind him, crunching the snow. Professor Arius, Harry Potter, and Samuel O'Heidin leaped off their borrowed brooms and approached the scene, all of them looking just as perturbed as Crowley.

Professor Crowley scooped Aileen out of the snow, lifting her off the ground, hoping to distance her from the infected boy. When Samuel spotted Aileen, his face drained of color.

"She'll be all right," Professor Crowley assured him. "A dementor nearly got her."

"A dementor?" Professor Arius asked, taken back. " _Here_?"

Harry's eyes fixated on the dead boy, his face stony and grave.

Professors Arius and Crowley followed his gaze, as did Samuel, all of them taking on the same visage of severity.

For seconds that seemed to stretch into hours, none of them spoke.

Harry took a deep breath, then faced the other three men.

"This is officially a deadly and unknown wizarding disease," Harry stated, his voice dark. "Headmaster, you'll have to make a change."

Professor Arius narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"The sickness killed someone," Professor Crowley said gravely, eyeing the rash on the boy's neck. "He's right, Zander. This sickness is capable of killing. And, now that we know... we'll have to take immediate action. Whatever this is... we can't allow it to spread."

The men fell silent for a moment. Samuel hovered in front of Professor Crowley, staring at the unconscious Aileen worriedly and swiping her bangs aside.

"All right," Professor Arius said in a dark, serious voice that didn't suit him. "Professor Crowley, please take Ms. O'Heidin to the hospital wing. After that, contact the boy's parents and tell them what's happened. Have someone come remove the body. Samuel, if you can, go back to the Quidditch field, and once the game is over, keep the students and the teachers away from this area. We don't need everyone ogling the boy before his body is moved. Harry, you'll have to contact Ross and decide what the best course of action is for the aurors now. I'm afraid this has gone too far. We need to stop this at all costs. All of Xyler's forces need to be dealt with. _Now_."

Professor Arius looked uncharacteristically shaken, almost furious. His hands curled into fists, his eyes switching between Aileen and the dead boy. He inhaled another heavy breath and spoke once more before the men left to do their duties as instructed.

"As of this moment, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly is officially under quarantine from the rest of wizarding society."


	11. Falling-Outs

A thick cloud of funereal bereavement took over Hogwarts after the death of the first year.

The students were ushered into the castle from the Quidditch game by teachers and prefects, all of whom wore grave, stony faces. None of them explained the situation to the students yet. That was the headmaster's job.

Professor Arius sent an owl to the Ministry, informing them of the situation in Hogwarts. Everyone would be kept inside the school throughout the holidays and for the months following. None of the students would be permitted to visit their homes, and none of the parents would be allowed to visit after today - Samuel, Ross, and Harry were the only parents in the school. The three of them had already been exposed to the sickness, and now, they wouldn't be able to leave the school either.

Samuel sent an owl to Ireland, informing his good friend Mel - another carnie at his carnival - that he'd have to take over the carnival for a while. Ross did the same, sending a message to his family and informing them of the situation. Up until now, Ross had been staying in Hogsmeade when he arrived to assist Harry and Crowley - but now that he had been exposed to the school, he couldn't leave.

Professor Arius requested assistance from the Ministry of Magic, hoping to gather a team of aurors or enforcers to guard the school. Everyone needed to be kept inside, and no one could be permitted entry. Defending Hogwarts against invaders was relatively easy, as it was the most heavily-fortified magical institution in the wizarding world - but keeping all the students and teachers inside was another story.

The next day was when everyone in the school would be informed of the severity of the issue.

Professor Arius canceled the morning classes (which was a major red flag to students like Rose, who had prepared frivolously for an upcoming quiz in History of Magic). Everyone was called to the Great Hall. Aileen sat with her friends, all of them huddled at the edge of the Gryffindor table. Samuel sat beside her, and Ross sat with Maxwell. Harry was sitting between Albus and Rose, one arm draped around each of their shoulders. Unlike most gatherings in the Great Hall, there was no laughter filling the room, no chatter and no feasting on any enormous meals. Everyone was silent, staring up at Professor Arius with grim faces and severe stares.

Professor Arius didn't look like his usual eccentric self. There was no sparkle in his eye, no mischievous smile plastered on his face. He wore a stony visage as he cleared his throat and spoke to the school.

"It... is my duty to give you the news," he began gravely. "I regret to inform you of this, kids... but yesterday... we lost someone. As many of you know, students have been falling ill seemingly at random from some kind of mutated form of Dragon Pox. Thus far, the ill have been recovering... but yesterday, sadly... one student wasn't lucky enough to fend off the sickness. We lost Micheal Volin yesterday afternoon during the Quidditch game. Therefore... it is my solemn duty to Hogwarts that I ensure this sickness can't spread until further notice. We've contacted the top experts at the M.M.M.F. and we have them studying the illness in search of a cure. Until they perfect their medication... I'm afraid Hogwarts will have to remain under quarantine."

Samuel stroked Aileen lightly as they listened in silence. Aileen leaned on her father's shoulder, her head still light from the dementor encounter. She forgot to listen as Professor Arius spoke, still picturing the horrific scene from yesterday, Valefor in bat form, the wicked dementor, the cold corpse of an eleven-year-old boy...

"Did you tell them," Aileen mumbled softly, peering up at Samuel. "Harry, Ross, and Crowley... did you tell them what I told you? Did you tell them what I saw?"

Samuel nodded grimly. "I did. Professor Crowley and the other teachers are still searching the grounds as we speak. But... if Valefor was outside of Hogwarts, then chances are, he's already gone. He wouldn't stick around."

"He did it on purpose," Aileen murmured remorsefully. "He wanted me to chase him. He knew I'd follow him. He led me to the dementor... to the boy. He wanted me to see it. He wanted the dementor to get me... and he wanted me to be the one who found the boy. It was a trap... and I fell for it..."

"It's not your fault." Samuel hugged her, squeezing her tight.

"Are you gonna help them?" Aileen asked, glimpsing over at Harry and Ross. "Now that you're stuck here... you might as well help the aurors. Are you gonna help them, Dad?"

Samuel gave her his signature, winning smirk. "I'll do everything I can. I promise."

Aileen attempted a smile, cuddling closer to him, not caring who was watching. Samuel blinked, eyeing the velvety green cloak draped over his daughter's torso.

"Where'd you get a shield cloak?" he asked, stroking the soft green cloak. "These are pricey."

Aileen and Harry met eyes for a split second. Harry winked.

Aileen smiled up at her father.

"I got it from a friend."

Samuel nodded and went quiet, embracing Aileen and returning his attention to Professor Arius. As the speech carried on, Aileen found herself thinking of Professor Crowley, feeling a stab of guilt. Professor Crowley saved her life yesterday...

If she had any doubt about his loyalty before, she certainly didn't now.

* * *

As the weeks passed by and winter faded away, Harry, Ross, Samuel, and Crowley rarely spent any time apart from one another.

The Ministry sent guards to the school, keeping the quarantine in check. It was an unsettling adjustment, having Ministry wizards at every entrance and every exit - but after the first week, the students seemed to forget about their presence entirely. Students were still falling ill now and then, and Mad'Am Pomfrey teamed up with Professor Longbottom, hoping to utilize their exceptional medicinal skills, harvesting what they could from the Herbology class and manifesting some improvised medicine. The medicine was meant for Dragon Pox, not the mutant variant that was sweeping the school - but it seemed to dampen the illness to some extent.

Aileen and her friends didn't go out of their way to investigate or cause trouble. Mostly, Rose and Aileen kept their noses buried in books, researching anything and everything they could find about Dragon Pox, magical sicknesses being weaponized, and the Black Alchemist. To their dismay, their search for information was yielding little fruit.

Every month, Maxwell would become sick and irritable during the full moon, as usual. Aileen expressed a bit more worry than usual; she knew Maxwell's condition, and she knew it was normal for a werewolf bisect to grow ill near the full moon, but the mystery sickness had her on edge. She didn't like seeing any of her friends sick, especially after what happened to Scorpius.

Harry, Ross, Samuel, and Crowley refortified the outside of the school every day, casting defensive spells on every side of the castle. The four of them met regularly with Professor Arius, hatching plans and discussing the possible whereabouts of Valefor and Xyler. The three parents were sleeping in an unoccupied classroom every night. Mrs. Truman was kind enough to transform some of her desks into beds for them to use.

Aileen tried to focus on her schoolwork and keep up with her usual routine, but the sickness and the recent troubling events weighed heavily on her. The dead boy, Micheal Volin... she couldn't get him out of her head. Occasionally, she'd meet with her father in passing and steal a hug from him, hoping to feel better. It didn't always work.

The day Quidditch practices resumed, Aileen and her friends arrived on the field just in time to watch a dramatic showdown. Gryffindor and Slytherin were both practicing today, and when they marched onto the field, Callidus Catus and Eric Volin were shouting at each other, their wands drawn and their expressions warped with fury. Everyone else stood on the sidelines, watching anxiously.

"What's going on?" Maxwell muttered, trading glimpses with Aileen and Albus.

Aileen narrowed her eyes at the two Quidditch captains.

"You're a right foul git," Callidus snarled. "I'll have you kicked off the Gryffindor Quidditch team for that. I'll find a way. Mark my words."

"That was a private conversation," Eric snapped in response. "It's none of your business what I say about my brother!"

"You're a heartless waste of space," Callidus seethed, taking a daring step forward. "How can you boast to all your little fangirls about such a thing? I heard what you said to them - you said you didn't care that your little brother was dead. That little boy came to every practice and every game, just for you. How on _earth_ could you be so cold? And to _your own brother_?"

"My brother is dead," Eric growled. "I can't be cruel to someone who's not alive."

"That tears it," Callidus hissed, raising his wand. _"Hominem Exumai!"_

 _"Stupefy!"_

Callidus and Eric shot off spells, two blasts of light colliding and canceling out. Callidus reared back and shot another spell, and Eric dove to dodge it, rushing toward Callidus-

 _"BOMBARDA!"_

BANG-BOOOM.

A harsh explosion erupted just a few yards from Callidus, creating an eruption of dirt and grass. Callidus went soaring backward-

 _"INCENDIO!"_

Aileen strode forward and swiped her wand, creating a wall of fire between Eric and Callidus. Eric stopped on a dime, his eyes widening.

 _"Hominem Exumai!"_

Aileen shot off a spell from the side, sending Eric flying across the Quidditch field. Everyone was screaming now, some players frozen in fear, others rushing to aid their Quidditch captains. The Gryffindors and fangirls surrounded Eric on the other side of the field, and Aileen broke into a run, rushing toward Callidus. Maxwell and Albus were hot on her tail.

Callidus sat against the nearest goalpost, leaning on it and wincing. Blood trickled down his ankle from beneath his robes. He grasped his leg, grinding his teeth.

"Are you all right?" Aileen gasped, hitting her knees in front of him.

"I'm fine," Callidus exhaled. "Just a scratch."

Aileen watched as his shoe quickly became saturated in blood. Callidus's face hardened, trying his best to mask the pain.

"Here." Aileen held out her hand. "I'll help you. Let's go to the hospital wing."

"No..." Callidus shook his head. "They'll kick me off the Quidditch team if they find out what just happened. I'll be fine."

"Blimey, what was that about?" Maxwell breathed.

"Why were you two fighting?" Albus asked.

Callidus swallowed a painful groan, clamping both hands onto his injured leg. "It was a mistake. I shouldn't have gotten worked up. I just... I heard what he said about his little brother, and it made me furious. It's bad enough to speak ill of the dead, but it was his _brother_ for God's sake..."

"That looks really bad," Aileen muttered worriedly, watching as blood oozed between his fingers. "You really need to get that fixed."

"I can't." Callidus stared down, shaking his head again. "I need Quidditch. I can't get kicked off the team. I can't..."

Aileen bit her lip, her mind racing. "Okay, I have an idea. Let's go back to the common room. I know someone who can fix it for you. C'mon."

"I don't think I can stand," Callidus mumbled.

Aileen unraveled her Slytherin scarf, scooting forward and preparing to wrap it around his leg.

Callidus squinted at her. "Don't do that. You'll ruin your scarf."

Aileen ignored him, wrapping the scarf around his leg and tying it tightly. Callidus let out a sharp gasp.

"Damn me," he uttered. "I know better. I know better than to step out of line..."

"Breaking the rules isn't that big a deal," Aileen told him, reaching her feet and extending her hand. "C'mon."

As Eric lumbered to his feet, his fangirls escorted him away. Aileen and Maxwell helped Callidus to stand, and slowly, they led him back to the Slytherin common room. When they arrived, Aileen took him to the back of the dungeon, allowing him to plop down on her bed, hoping to keep his injury out of sight.

"Stay here," Aileen told Maxwell and Albus. "I'll be right back."

At that, Aileen spun around, leaving her friends alone with her Quidditch captain. For a while, she wandered the castle with a pep in her step, searching until she finally found her father. Samuel was standing at the entrance of the castle, discussing something with Ross. He stopped talking instantly when he spotted his daughter.

"What's up, hothead?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you alone for a second," Aileen replied. "Will you come with me?"

Samuel raised his brows. "Sure, kiddo."

Aileen didn't bother trying to explain the situation to him until they were back in the Slytherin common room. When they arrived, Aileen glanced through every doorway nervously, ensuring they were alone before she spoke.

"My friend got hurt on the Quidditch field," she told her father. "He got in a fight with another player. He won't go to the hospital wing because he's afraid they'll kick him off the Quidditch team if the teachers find out about the fight. Can you fix him?"

Samuel stared at her. "You have a real talent for trouble, y'know that? Going behind teachers' backs..."

"Where do you think I get it from?" Aileen smirked.

Samuel laughed. "All right. Show me. I'll see what I can do."

Aileen led him to the back, stopping at her bed. Maxwell and Albus were sitting on the bed beside Aileen's, and Callidus was cradling his bloody leg, blotches of crimson staining Aileen's scarf.

Samuel squinted at his leg. "Aileen, is that your...?"

"I'm sorry," Aileen said. "I didn't have anything else to use. He was bleeding real bad."

Samuel sighed, sitting in front of Callidus. "All right... take the scarf off. Let's see the damage."

"Er... no offense, sir, but..." Callidus mumbled. "Are you really qualified to treat magical wounds?"

Samuel chuckled, swapping smirks with Aileen.

"We grew up in a carnival miles away from any hospitals," Aileen explained. "My dad's a pro at wandless magic. He used to fix me all the time whenever I got hurt."

Cautiously, Callidus slowly removed the scarf from his leg, rolling up his robes and revealing a horrible, grisly wound. A chunk of skin had been blasted off his shin, leaving a red, pulpy hole in his leg, his ankle painted red with blood.

"Bloody hell," Samuel breathed, examining the wound closely. "Must've been some fight."

Samuel's eyes drifted shut for a moment. He raised his hands above the wound, inhaling a heavy breath and muttering one of his many homemade incantations. _"Sana... Occludo... Sana... Occludo..."_

Callidus let out a hissing gasp; the skin began to crawl inward, slowly sealing the wound and reattaching. Aileen smiled, but her grin quickly vanished when she spotted the look on Callidus's face. The spell seemed to be working, but it was fairly painful to endure. Samuel continued the chant until the wound was sealed completely, and Callidus's face had faded a deep, burning red.

Samuel surveyed his work, gently running a thumb down the red scar where the wound was moments ago. "Well... there you are. No worse for wear. Sorry, it's not a painless process, especially with an injury that bad. But you'll be all right. It'll still hurt for a while, but it'll heal fully in no time. Just go easy on it. Treat it like stitches."

Callidus blinked. "What are stitches?"

Samuel cocked an eyebrow. "Right. Never mind. Just... go easy on it for a little while. I sped up the healing process exceptionally, but you'll have to let nature take its course from here."

"Blimey, that's brilliant," Albus marveled, eyeing the scar.

"Aye... that was _really_ cool," Maxwell grinned.

Callidus folded his leg, leaning forward and eyeing the wound. For the first time since Aileen met him, his expression displayed a sense of shock.

"Wow," Callidus exhaled. "That's... incredible. How did you learn that magic?"

"I didn't learn it," Samuel shrugged. "I made it."

Callidus narrowed his eyes. "You _made_ it?"

"Aye. When you live alone and isolated, you've gotta find your own means of survival," Samuel replied. "Poverty is a good teacher."

Callidus gaped at him for a moment. Then, he turned his gaze to Aileen. "You realize your father is a prodigy, don't you?"

"Aye. An underrated one, at that." Aileen patted Samuel proudly on the back.

"How did all this happen, anyhow?" Samuel traded eyes with all of them. "Who was fighting? And what about?"

"It was, um..." Aileen turned to Callidus. "I'm not exactly sure what happened."

"Eric Volin," Callidus grumbled disdainfully. "The Gryffindor Quidditch captain... he was talking to his little gang of fangirls. He told them that he didn't care that his little brother died. He told them that it barely made a difference to him because his little brother was _nothing special_. I heard him say that. Aileen... the boy you found in the snow. Eric's brother... Micheal Volin. He said he didn't care. I just..."

Callidus trailed off, scowling into his lap.

Aileen observed him. Since the beginning of the year, Callidus seemed incredibly serious, never joking, never letting his emotions get the better of him. She'd never seen him like this before. The image of Micheal Volin's corpse invaded her mind again, making a disgusted knot form in her stomach.

Albus and Maxwell exchanged troubled looks. Samuel's eyes darkened.

"Gryffindors aren't always the heroes," Samuel murmured gravely.

"Couldn't agree more," Callidus rumbled.

"Well... I've got an important meeting to attend." Samuel stood and hugged his daughter. "All of you... be careful. Try not to get horribly mutilated anymore."

"Thank you, sir," Callidus said.

Samuel responded with a lazy salute. He turned and sauntered out of the room.

For a moment, the four of them were quiet.

"Things are getting tense, aren't they?" Albus muttered.

"Aye. Have you seen the hospital wing lately?" Maxwell asked. "When I went to get my potion yesterday, they had hospital beds in the hallway. They're running out of room inside. Everyone's getting sick."

"If Rose was right, we're running out of time," Aileen mumbled darkly. "If there's a stage two to the disease... it's only a matter of time before more students die."

"What can we do?" Albus wondered.

"We've already tried everything we can think of," Maxwell sighed.

"Not everything," Aileen stated. "There's one more thing... but it'll be dangerous. It's a last-resort sort of plan."

"What on earth are you three on about?" Callidus barked. "What're you planning?"

"Callidus... I did you a favor," Aileen told him. "I need you to return the favor. I need you to keep everything we're talking about secret... and if you can, cover for us."

"Excuse me?" Callidus took back. "What're you talking about?"

"Yeah, Aileen... what _are_ you talking about?" Albus asked.

"It's a dangerous plan... but it's the only one we've got," Aileen said definitively. "We have to find Valefor ourselves."

"How can we do that?" Maxwell responded. "Hogwarts is being covered in defensive spells daily now, and there are Ministry wizards all over the place. Valefor won't come back to the castle."

"Who said anything about the castle?" Aileen replied. "We're leaving Hogwarts."

" _What_?" Albus gasped. "We can't leave during a quarantine, Aileen. Especially not with a dark wizard wandering around out there."

"Yeah, and... even if we find Valefor, it won't help to cure any of the sick students," Maxwell added. "The M.M.M.F. is working on a cure, Aileen."

"What if they don't make it in time?" Aileen asked. "Valefor sent Erika medicine at the beginning of the year - you know what that means? It means he knows how to counteract the sickness. If the aurors have him in custody, I bet they can get that information out of him. Valefor is the key to the cure. Besides, he's the one who started this whole thing. The aurors can't leave the school. If we don't look for him, no one's gonna be able to catch him."

"Hold on." Callidus's eyes zeroed in on Aileen. "Are you talking about hunting down a reputed Death Eater? By _yourselves_?"

"No. We'll do it together," Aileen replied. "Last year, I ended up facing him alone. I won't be alone this time. I'll be ready."

Aileen tried to stand, but Callidus shot forward, clamping Aileen's wrist with a viselike grip. Aileen met his eyes. He gave her a long, intense stare, his eyes burning a fiery blue.

"That, is, _mad_ ," Callidus said in a slow, firm voice. "You're going to get killed. You can't go. I won't allow it."

"Callidus... this seems like the same exact sickness that killed my mother," Aileen told him, her heart making a painful skip. "And I found that boy... I _found_ him. I _saw_ him, cold, stiff, white... it's too much. I can't just do nothing. I have to stop it."

Aileen gently slipped out of his grasp, motioning for her friends to follow.

Callidus gaped up at her, looking torn. "You're mad. You're absolutely mad."

"Maybe," Aileen shrugged. "But I have to try."

At that, she spun around and marched out of the room, Maxwell and Albus following suit.


End file.
